Table 1 Sample size and criteria for focus groups and interviews

CDFs

4 focus groups ranging from 8 to 11 participants from 4 to 6 villages. 35 people in all from 20 villages (3 did not send representatives)

1 or 2 participants from each CDF (one a long-term member; one with a shorter term).

Traditional Councils

2 (1) Traditional Council secretaries

2 Indunas

There are three Traditional Councils and one has only one village in the research site. Hence secretaries of only 2 Traditional Councils were interviewed. Each recommended an Induna for interview from within their Council, who had represented their village for the full 25 years of research.

Municipalities

2 (1) regional municipal managers

3 ward councilors

The PEO works with only 2 regional municipalities, and both regional municipal managers were interviewed. The PEO works with 9 ward councilors and interviews were done with the three who have the most villages in their wards included in the HDSS study area.

Department of Health

Focus group with managers of 8 Home Based Care Organisations (HBCs)

4 clinic managers

4 individual interviews with the clinic managers of the four busiest clinics and 1 focus group with the managers of all eight HBCs based at 8 clinics.

Department of Education

2 (1) education circuit managers

The PEO works with five education circuits, but only interviewed circuit managers from the two that have several schools in the research site.

Total participants

45 people in 5 FGDs

15 (11)