Social Cohesion Integration Diagnostics Tool (SCIDAT)

Part of Catholic Relief Services (CRS)'s suite of resources on social cohesion, this user's guide is a strategic tool designed to help senior management teams, programme officers and managers better understand the potential of their country programme (CP) to integrate social cohesion activities into core programme areas. It features a simple questionnaire that can be administered by a peacebuilding specialist or a CP's head of programming. The Social Cohesion Integration Diagnostics Tool (SCIDAT) tool is intended for use by all humanitarian and development staff in country programmes, including those indirectly involved in integrating social cohesion into other core programming areas.

CRS's working definition of social cohesion emphasises strong social bonds, trust and norms, and reciprocity between and among different (racial, religious, ethnic, etc.) identity groups as well as between citizens and the state. According to this definition, a socially cohesive society will have vibrant, horizontal bridging mechanisms that reinforce social norms across income inequality, development disparities, ethnic divisions, religious divisions, and other socio-cultural-economic divides. It will also demonstrate reciprocal, vertical linkages between citizens and their state, and between consumers and markets. The stronger and more numerous these horizontal and vertical ties, the more likely that societies and polities will possess the tools and capacities necessary to mediate and mitigate conflict.

Within the context of social cohesion and the principle of "do no harm," connectors are issues, structures, systems, and policies that bind people together. They build consensus around norms, values, needs, and events while building solidarity among various interest and identity groups. In contrast, dividers deepen and widen the gaps that separate identity groups and sometimes cause such groups to exit the civic arena to use violent means to resolve differences.

The tool comprises questions (with multiple answer options) that are organised according to CRS's 6 peacebuilding integration criteria:

1. The social cohesion components should be important and clearly recognisable among others.
2. Intended changes in unjust structures or policies or in a conflict (violent or latent) should be specified.
3. There should be professional competency in social cohesion and its integration.
4. Coherence and similarities should be built between social cohesion and other sectors and processes.
5. Results of social cohesion integration should be demonstrable and evidence based.
6. Significant resources should be dedicated to social cohesion integration.

According to CRS, an ideal time to apply the SCIDAT is during a CP's portfolio design process or project concept phase so that social cohesion becomes part of the overall relief and development approach. The survey can be administered by anyone with basic knowledge of and modest familiarity with the concepts and components of social cohesion. It is ideally administered, and then results analysed and discussed, in 2 half-day workshops - the outlines of which are described in the guide. During the first workshop, the facilitator can recap the reasons for holding the workshop, engage participants in a brief discussion of social cohesion, explain the purpose of the exercise, and administer the questionnaire to selected CP participants. In the second workshop, the facilitator can review and discuss the survey results, implications, and next steps with the respondents.

The responses in the SCIDAT questionnaire aim to gauge the breadth and depth of social cohesion integration in the CP as well as potential readiness for such integration. By conducting the qualitative survey, CPs can initiate and engage in reflection and dialogue around the analysis to introduce and or improve integrated social cohesion programming. Using the tool may also have spillover effects such as helping to identify conflict sensitivity gaps and opportunities, consistent with CRS' commitment to "do no harm" in its programming.