Research & Consultancy
The research below was conducted by This Life’s research team and partners. In collaboration with program staff, our research team conducts and oversees the monitoring and evaluation of all programs. We also design and conduct research on topics that emerge from program areas with a focus on human rights, juvenile justice, and school development. In addition, we undertake research consultancies or monitoring and evaluation projects for other organisations.
Preventing School Based Violence Against Children in Southern Asia (2023)
This Life is proud to have supported the Coalition for Good Schools, with research and case study examples from across SE Asia. Along with our new Regional Network Partners, we are committed to reducing violence in schools and all domestic settings within the community. We believe that an inclusive future is free from prejudice, discrimination and inequality.
Gender, Criminalisation, Imprisonment and Human Rights in Southeast Asia (2022)
In partnership with Emerald Publishing Limited and Editors Samantha Jeffries (Griffith University) and Andrew M. Jefferson (DIGNITY), This Life recently contributed a Chapter (4) to this new publication.
No place for a child: Alternatives to imprisoning children in Cambodia (2021)
With the Law on Juvenile Justice already providing a clear framework for preventing the unnecessary imprisonment of children, This Life set out to document the progress made to date and understand the barriers to implementation of the law. We gathered the views and experiences of children in conflict with the law, community representatives, police, and judicial officials.
Read in English / របាយការណ៍ជាភាសារខ្មែរ
Supporting Children & Families in Conflict with the Law: Scalability & Replicability Study (2021)
The aim of our program This Life In Families, is to identify, support and protect vulnerable families from the risk and hazards of separation, and to take practical and proactive steps to help families remain safe and together. Funded by GHR Foundation & Firetree Philanthropy, the report presents the findings from a research study that sought to determine the prospect and potential to expand This Life In Families(TLIF) program activities into other provinces in Cambodia.
Five Rightsholder Groups in Cambodia: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice & Social Media (2020)
In partnership with the VOICE and Oxfam Cambodia, This Life has undertaken this study which aims at understanding the knowledge and attitudes of the rightsholder groups to cultural, social and political participation, participation in development, volunteerism and social activism, to investigate the current greatest concerns, and their perception of how the wider society views the position and role of the groups, and finally to understand how the groups interact with and actively participate in media, and determine motivations for such participation.
Understanding Microfinance Debt / ការស្វែងយល់់អំពីបំណុលមីក្រូហិរញ្ញវត្ថុ (2020)
When COVID-19 was announced as a pandemic, it became obvious that the families This Life supports would be impacted even if the virus itself did not gain a foothold in Cambodia.
នៅពេលជំងឺកូវិដ១៩ បានរាតត្បាត វាបានឲឃើញជាក់ស្តែងថាគ្រួសាជាច្រើនដែល អង្គការជីវិតនៅកម្ពុជាបានជូយឧបត្ថម្ភអាចមានផលប៉ះពាល់ ទោះបីជាមេរោគមិនរីករាលដាលនៅប្រទេសកម្ពុជាក៏ដោយ។
Care reform: Perspectives from a subnational level, phase one (2020)
Following the recommendation from the 2018 Insight Analysis report, this next piece of research aims to better understand the implementation challenges, impacts, their root-causes and pitential entry points for concrete solutions for care reform in Cambodia. Phase two will use the tools from Phase one to develop a larger scale national study.
Domestic violence during COVID-19: How to influence the inevitable (2020)
Victims of domestic violence are at greater risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Heightened anxieties, financial strain, and stresses of living in close proximity with family members for extended periods put women and children at greater risk during the lockdown.
Tackling stigma head-on: The effects of COVID-19 on marginalised groups (2020)
Stigma most often refers to a set of negative beliefs or feelings of disapproval that a society or group of people have against another group or individual. Stigma can occur when people negatively associate an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, with a specific population.
Why children accompany mothers into prison: An insight into factors influencing this decision in Cambodia (2019)
This research was funded by the GHR Foundation and aims to provide insight into the causes underlying a mother’s decision to have her child/ren accompany her to prison. In Cambodia, children can accompany their mother to prison up until the age of three, but how decisions are made as to whether a child accompanies their mother or not, is not always clear. Women in conflict with the law can be better supported to make informed decisions that are in the best interests of their child.
Care reform in Cambodia: Insight analysis (2018)
The Community Research & Consultancy (CRCP) unit of This Life Cambodia recently undertook an analysis for the GHR Foundation to assess the current efforts of government and NGOs working on care reform in Cambodia. GHR and its partners will use this research to collectively develop and implement efforts to evolve a thorough and sustainable approach for strengthening families and keeping children in safe, nurturing family and community-based settings.
Enhancing collaboration between school management and district and provincial offices of education (2017)
Cambodian government reforms to further decentralize education decision-making to local levels have led to some successes and many challenges. This research was undertaken in Siem Reap province to identify how collaboration between school management and district and provincial offices of education could be enhanced and to highlight successful examples of cooperation and partnership.
Download PDF (in English) Download PDF (in Khmer)
Community responses to violence against women: Pilot evaluation (2016)
The CRVAW program applied a community development framework for empowering community-led action on the complex issues of domestic violence and violence against women at the grassroots level. CRVAW succeeded in engaging citizens in meaningful ways, to identify priorities for action on prevention and response. The project was part of an interagency program, in partnership with ICS and TPO.
Parallel private lessons (2016)
This research, done in partnership with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) examines the scale and nature of private tutoring lessons received by secondary school students in Siem Reap province. The report explains the prevalence of private tutoring, reasons for its use, and implications for policymakers and school management.
Download PDF (in English) Download PDF (in Khmer)
This Life Beyond Bars three year evaluation (2014)
This Life Beyond Bars (TLBB) is a program by This Life Cambodia, which has been implemented in Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey and Banteay Meanchey Provinces. This comprehensive Evaluation Report highlights the overall success of TLBB in providing an alternative model of support for juveniles in prison, and for families with a parent in prison. The evidence presented positions TLBB as a good practice model in Cambodia.
Community views on violence against women in Chi Kraeng commune (2014)
This research gathers community voices into a local evidence base for designing a project that addresses the priority issue of violence against women and children in Chi Kraeng Commune, Siem Reap Province. In line with TLC’s commitment to community-led evidence-based practice, this research was conducted as a starting point for commune-level programming that responds to this priority issue in Cambodia.
Harnessing corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards education for all: A Cambodia case study (2014)
This qualitative scoping study finds that corporate organisations in Cambodia that aspire to good business practice through CSR or philanthropy are potentially powerful allies and advocates for the Education for All agenda. Challenges are identified and recommendations made for building on this common ground. The study was conducted in partnership with NEP Cambodia and with funding support from ASPBAE.
Lotus Kids Club program evaluation (2013)
This external evaluation was commissioned by Senhoa Foundation, to evaluation the Lotus Kids Club, part of Senhoa’s early intervention strategies to end vulnerabilities through education, family development and community building. This evaluation was conducted by TLC’s Community Research and Consultancy Program, engaging with an Evaluation Stakeholder Group including key stakeholders of LKC, to ensure the evaluation process was transparent and participatory.
Lower Secondary School Development Program pilot phase evaluation (2013)
The evaluation describes the success of the LSSDP in empowering communities to support their local public lower secondary school (grades 7 to 9), positioning the program as a good practice model for engaging whole communities in school development at the grassroots level, and in particular for supporting School Support Committees to lead school development.
Rethinking sustainability: The unintended outcomes of school-based management reforms in Cambodia (2012)
This report is an evaluation of the Lower Secondary School Development Program’s work in school-based management reform through School Support Committees. It finds that the program’s most meaningful impact is horizontal integration (connecting to other community members), not vertical integration (connecting with government structures).
This Life Beyond Bars Siem Reap year 1 report: February 2011 – January 2012.
This evaluation report chronicles the activities of This Life Beyond Bars through its first year of work in the Siem Reap prison and three communes. Activities include vocational training, family scholarship support, and community development.
The public-private education system in Cambodia: The impact and implications of complementary tutoring
The Privatisation of Education Research Initiative commissioned this research conducted by This Life Cambodia and Lehigh University. The research looks at the equity and quality implications of private tutoring in Cambodia. A TLC report written in Khmer is based on this research.