3. Methodology The ZHRC used 4 tools in carrying out its 2 day assessment: key informant interviews; focus group discussions; household questionnaires; and participant observations. The use of 4 tools is useful for the triangulation of data at the analysis stage. It becomes an alternative to traditional criteria like reliability and validity, with the view of overcoming, the weakness or intrinsic biases and the problems that are associated with the use of a single method. The Commission adopted the qualitative approach as it wanted to capture not only the facts, but also the feelings and views of different interviewees. Below is an explanation of the specific tools employed to gather information. a. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) The FGDs were intended to capture the perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes of respondents towards human rights issues. The FGD was particularly important to explore the meanings of findings that could not be explained statistically. Questions were asked in an interactive group setting where participants were free to talk with other group members. The FGD was used in this rapid research to gather information from men, women, children and key informants. The group of participants was guided by a group facilitator who created a permissive and nurturing environment that encouraged different perceptions and points of view as the interviewer/moderator introduced topics for discussion. The participants were able to agree or disagree with each other to provide insight to the moderator/interviewer on how particular issues affected them. This also created a platform to identify opinions and ideas that exist within the Tsholotsho community in terms of beliefs, experiences, practices, norms and values. b. House hold Questionnaires Questionnaires were administered in order to capture the past and present situation of the Tsholotsho community. These were administered to 12 households randomly Page 7 of 22