Development, Piloting and Dissemination of New Methods in Data Collection on Discrimination Against Roma in Public Services

Programme(s): Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme-REC Programme 2014-2020

Topic(s): REC-RDIS-DISC-AG-2019

Type of action: REC Action Grant

Funded under: Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme

Project ID: 881903

Objective: The project aims to contribute to fighting discrimination that Roma face in accessing public services (such as social services, employment services or public housing) through developing, piloting and disseminating methods of data collection that can be easily implemented by NGOs and used to monitor discrimination in a regular and systematic way. Grassroots NGOs from 3 member states – BG, CZ and HU – with methodological support and coordination of Central European University and Budapest Institute, will obtain evidence on discrimination that Roma face in accessing public services, using the method of mystery shopping (situational testing); subsequently, the NGOs will use this evidence in mediation/advocacy activities with public service providers with objective to reduce barriers of Roma’s access. The project will develop methods of mystery shopping in public services both accessed via online gateways and personal contact with providers; piloting the methods; capacity building of NGOs to use these methods on their own; and the dissemination of the results in the national policy context. About 15-30 persons will participate in each public service’s testing. In each country, 2-3 public services will be tested using online and/or personal access. In total, at least 100 testings will take place. Outputs: a methodology of data collection and guidelines on its use in English and three national languages; training of NGOs on how to use the methodology; three national reports in national languages including the findings of the analyses of collected data; a policy brief on improving Roma’s access to public services in English and 3 national languages. Expected results include more reliable evidence on the existence of ethnicity-related barriers to accessing public services, and an expansion in NGOs’ capacities to detect discrimination in access to public services increased. Impacts may include increased awareness of discrimination in public services (among service providers, policy makers, general public), an improvement of Roma’s access to public services on the local level; and considerations of discrimination in national policy-making and policy implementation.