April 2014

Between November and December 2013, JCCP supported the Observatory of Conflict and Violence Prevention (OCVP)* and conducted preliminary research on conflict over land and landownership in Somaliland. This research was designed to support effective project planning and government policy formation.

Questionnaire survey with smartphones
During the field research by OCVP, a questionnaire survey was carried out to residents in five towns (Salaxley, Borama, Hargeisa, Oodweyne and Gabiley) in Somaliland (around 100 people in each town; 513 people in total). In addition, focus group discussions (FGD)** key informant interviews (KII)*** were carried out in each town in order to understand the current situations and issues in detail.

With regards to the FGDs, OCVP arranged discussions for particular groups of people in the same demographic, including youth, women and elders of tribes and gathered important information on opinions and attitudes that differ between groups. KIIs were held with twenty people including elders, religious leaders and experts on land issues in order to grasp the background and essence of the problems.

Researchers learning how to use smartphones
As for the questionnaire survey, data management with smartphones was introduced. Although it caused new challenges like taking time getting used to smartphones, mistakes and failures in data input were improved compared to conventional methods.

The research outcome revealed a better understanding of landownership, land management systems and the relation between land and conflict, which had not been clear. Moreover, specific suggestions for land conflict prevention were advanced. The need for systematic land management laws was pointed out, suggesting that conflict management training for clan and religious leaders who often take role in conflict resolution is necessary.

The results of this research will be utilized in project planning and policy making in the future.

Elders participating in a discussion
*Observatory of Conflict and Violence Prevention (OCVP)
OCVP is a local organization that promotes peacebuilding security and sustainable development in Somalia, through research and education. Founded in 2009, it has been conducting research analysis and peace education for effective policy making, together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and international NGOs such as JCCP.

**Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
FGD is one of the data collection methods in qualitative research. Discussion groups are organized for people in the same demographic, such as women, youth, business people, religious leaders and elders, and information is gathered by group. Through FGDs, it is possible to obtain profound and extensive information which cannot be gathered through individual interviews. In this research, each FGD consisted of ten people and was held for 60 –90 minutes.

***Key Informant Interview (KII)
KII is an individual interview with an important informant. Usually, an informant is a member of the targeted society and who is most familiar with issues which researchers want to investigate. They are able to precisely explain concepts and provide concrete examples of the issues. Using a broad framework when researching, the researcher asks questions in a flexible manner which enables them to deeply understand attitudes, values and opinions of informants and people in the same societies. In this research, interviews were held with twenty people including mayors and administrators in the regions, religious leaders, elders and experts in land management law.
Five cites where OCVP conducted research