Risk assessment of coronavirus disease lockdown on psychosocial support delivery: Eswatini caregivers’ perspective

Authors

  • Happyson Bimha Department of Business Administration University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni Campus, Eswatini
  • Patronella Bimha Psychosocial Support Mentor, Institute of Distance Education, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni Campus, Eswatini
  • Sibusiso Makhanya Child Development and Psychosocial Support Entrepreneur, Eswatini, Kwaluseni Campus, Eswatini

Keywords:

Caregivers, coronavirus disease, neighborhood care points, psychosocial support, risk assessment

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the research was to assess the risks of delivering psychosocial support to orphaned and vulnerable children and the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on same. Methodology: Caregivers who are pivotal in managing national care points in Eswatini were targeted in the assessment. A questionnaire was developed based on the identified four risks (material, manpower, machine and technology, and methods risks). Respondents were required to indicate on a five-point Likert scale, probability of the risks happening (very low=1 point to very high=5 points), the impact risks could cause (very low=1 point to very high =5 points), and impact of COVID-19 on
psychosocial support using a scale of insignificant=1 point to critical=5 points. Data were collected through WhatsApp and e-mail from 109 (a 72.67% response rate) caregivers between August and December 2020. Data were statistically analyzed based on means and standard deviations. Findings: Results showed that all the four assessed risks had high chances of happening, could have a high impact on psychosocial support delivery, COVID-19 exacerbated the situation, and authorities imposed restrictive measures which included the closure of national care points. Implications: Major implications for the study are that identifying critical risks could help in prioritizing the risks when planning and
allocating resources, lack of strategies to mitigate psychosocial support risks, and their impact threatened the viability of national care points and ultimately vulnerable children. The researchers view the closing of national care points like closing vulnerable children out of food and care, which worsened their predicament. The research recommends accurate assessment of psychosocial support risks and evidence-informed decisions which take into account the special circumstances of disadvantaged children. Originality: The researchers do not have knowledge of any previous studies that studied risks associated with COVID-19 lockdown effects on psychosocial support delivery. 

References

Atkinson, S. (2014). The Business Book. 1st Edition. London: Dorling Kindersley.

Bech, C. (2018). Risk Profiles in Project Management. Denmark: Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Retrieved July 11, 2020 from:

http://www.apppm.man.dtu.dk/index.php/Risk_profiles_in_project_management.

Carr, M. J., Konda, S. L., Ulrich, F. C., & Walker, C. F. (1993). Taxonomy Based Risk Identification. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Software Engineering Institute, Carnege Mellon University. p15213.

Chandana. (2017). Risk Assessment in Project Management. Retrieved July 11, 2020 from: https://www.simplilearn.com/risk-assessment-project-management-article.

Collins, C. (2020). Teaching through Corona virus: What Teachers Need Right Now. Teaching Tolerance Magazine. Retrieved from: https://www.learning for justice.org/magazine/teaching-through-coronaviruswhat-educators-need-right-now.Last visited on July

, 2020.

Dhital, R., Shibanuma, A., Miyaguchi, M., Kiriya, J., & Jimba, M. (2019). Effect of psycho-social support by teachers on improving mental health and hope of adolescents in an earthquake-affected district in Nepal: A cluster randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 14(10), e0223046.Last visited on August 3,2020.

Dhital, S. Charles Brennan, Michael J. Gidley,(2019). Location and interactions of starches in planta: Effects on food and nutritional functionality, Trends in Food Science & Technology, Volume 93, Pages 158-166, ISSN 0924-2244, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2019.09.011.

Evans, J. R., & Lindsay, W. M. (2017). Managing for Quality and Performance Excellence. 10th ed. Boston, USA: Cengage Learning.

Fox, W., & Van Der Walldt, G. (2007). A Guide to Project Management. Cape Town: Juta.

Haugaard, R., Csrter, J. and Mohan, M. (2020). Build Your Resilience in the Face of a Crisis Harvard Business Review, Retrieved on July 10,2020 from:,https://hbr.org/2020/03/build-your-resilliency-in-the-face-of-a-crisis.

Hlatswhayo, S.(2020).Paramedics not Prepared to go back to Work, Times of Swaziland, 2 August 2020. International Network for Education in Emergencies [INEE]. (2016). Background Paper on Psychosocial Support and Social and Emotional Learning for Children and Youth in Emergency Settings. Retrieved on 23 June, 2020 from: http://www.toolkit.ineesite.org/resources/ineecms/uploads/1126/20161219_PSS_ SEL_Background_Note_Digital_Final.pdf.

Kaplan, R. S., & Miles, A. (2012). Managing Risks: A Framework. Brighton, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review, June Issue.

Kloppenborg, T. J., Anantatmula, V., & Wells, K. N. (2019). Contemporary Project Management. 4th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning.

Mahaveer, G. (2020). COCID-19, India, lockdown and psychosocial challenges: What next. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2020, 1-3.

Mhlanga, T. (2020). COVID-19: Rude awakening to South Africa’s Procurement Failures-Corruption Watch September 2020. Retrieved January 8,

from: https://www.corruptionwatch.org.za/covid-19-rude-awakening-to-sas-procurement-failures.

Majeed, M. (2018). Risk Management: An Important part of Project Management, PM Project. Retrieved July 12, 2020 from: https://www.project-management.com/risk-management-an-important-part-of-projectmanagement.

Mattingly, J. (2017). Approaches to Providing Psychosocial Support for Children, Teachers and Other School Staff, and Social and Emotional Learning for Children in Protracted Conflict Situations. UK Department for International Development, Education Development Trust Report.

Meredith, J. R., Mantel S. J. Jr., & Shafer, S. M. (2016). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. 9th ed. Asia: Wiley.

Mutsaka, F (2020). AP News: Zimbabwe’s Health Minister Fired over COVID-19 Graft Scandal. Retrieved January 15, 2021 from: https://www.apnews.com/article/3bc2e7ba1e66b4ae4c8b5a7690713246.

New Zealand Ministry of Health. (2016). Framework for Psychosocial Support in Emergencies, Wellington: Ministry of Health New Zealand. Retrieved on 23 September 2020 from https://www.health.org.nz/publication/framework-psychosocial-support-emergencies

Oakland, J. S. (2014). Total Quality Management and Operational Excellence. 4th ed. London, New York: Routledge.

Oosthuizen, T., & Venter, R. (2012). Project Management in Perspective. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.

Project Management Institute. (2008). A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge. 4th ed. Pennsylvania, PA: Project Management Institute.

Reeves, M., Lang, N., Carlsson, S., & Zlezak, P. (2020). Leading Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis:12 Lessons from Responding to Covid-19. Brighton, Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review.

Schermerhorn, J. R. Jr., & Bachrach, D. G. (2015). Introduction to Management. 13th ed. Singapore: Wiley.

Sylvia, H. (2020). The Rationale behind Social Distancing and Hand Washing, March 25 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020 from: https://www.technologynetworks.com/immunology/articles/the-rationale-behind-socialdistancing-and-hand-washing-332559.

The Inter Agency Standing Committee[IASC]. (2007). Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. Retrieved on March 23, 2020, from: http://www.interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/legacy_files/Guidelines%20IASC%20 Mental%20Health%20Psychosocial%20%28with%20index%29.pdf. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cross

Crescent (2001).Psychosocial Support Best Practices Bimha, et al Indian Journal of Commerce & Management Studies • Vol XII • Issue 2 • May 2021 • 52 from Red Cross and Red Crescent Programmes (FRC,2001,74 pages).International Federation Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support. Retrieved on 21 August 2020 from helid.digicollection.org/en/d/Js2902e/4.html

The World Bank. (2020). Eswatini COVID 19 Emergence Response Project (P173883). Project Information Document ID). Retrieved June 1, 2020 from: http://www.documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/488231586518951359/pdf/Project-Information-Document-Eswatini-COVID-19-Emergency-Response-Project-P173883.pdf.

Thuis, P., & Stuive, R. (2015). Business Administration. Groningen, The Netherlands: Noordhoff Uitgevers, Routledge.

Thuis, P., & Stuive, R. (2012). Business Administration. Routledge, ISBN: 1000035794, 9781000035797.

United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS [UNAIDS]. (2006). Report on Global Aids Pandemichttps://data. unaids,org/pub/report2006_gr_en.pdf.Last visited 2 July 2020.

United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF]. (2008). National Response to Psychosocial Needs of Children: Three Year Strategic Plan 2008-2010.

Swaziland Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, National Children’s Coordination Unit. Retrieved from: http://www.infocenter.nercha.org.sz/sites/default/files/infocenter_db/ELDOCS/PSSStra.

United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF]. (2011). Inter-Agency Guide to the Evaluation of Psychosocial Programming in Emergencies. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund.

World Food Programme. (2018). WFP Eswatini Country Briefing, December 2018. Retrieved on June 30, 2020 from: https://www.reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/WFP-0000102418.pdf.

World Health Organization[WHO]. (2020). Novel Coronavirus (2019nCov): Strategic preparedness and Response Plan.

Downloads

Published

31-05-2021

How to Cite

Happyson Bimha, Patronella Bimha, & Sibusiso Makhanya. (2021). Risk assessment of coronavirus disease lockdown on psychosocial support delivery: Eswatini caregivers’ perspective. Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, 12(2), 38–52. Retrieved from https://ijcms.in/index.php/ijcms/article/view/110

Issue

Section

Articles