LIMITATIONS, CHALLENGES AND MITIGATION MEASURES Fieldwork was carried out despite a difficult context and many challenges, mainly related to the multilayered crisis that has hit the country since 2019. GENERAL LIMITATIONS FIELD CHALLENGES Covid-19 pandemic Gender dynamics Progress of the study was slowed by national Covid-19 lockdown measures. Despite the fieldwork initially being postponed, the team overcame these obstacles by conducting all KIIs over the phone. The fieldwork was carried out after proper planning and in line with standard sanitary measures, such as providing face masks and sanitizers, conducting outdoor surveys regardless of weather conditions, and doing regular PCR tests for surveyors and supervisors. Keeping a gender-balanced ratio in the surveys was harder than expected. This was mainly due to local conservatism and traditions. While a balanced ratio was achieved in the main survey and survey of parents, it was more difficult for the control survey. Lebanese respondents were approached on the streets and in shops, mainly because of Covid-19 safety measures. Unfortunately, women do not show up frequently on the streets. Since the study prioritized proportional representation of villages and regions for the control group (to be in line with identified stateless), this made balanced gender representation more difficult to achieve. Mobility issues The team’s day-to-day mobility was hindered by geographical factors and by the socioeconomic crisis. Frequent road blocks by protestors and the ongoing fuel crisis limited the mobility of both the team and surveyors during fieldwork. This was coupled with some unfortunate weather conditions that delayed daily briefs, debriefs and data collection. Embarrassment and shame Many respondents, especially among the Dom, were evasive in their answers or were unwilling to take part in the surveys. While linked to multiple factors, this challenge was successfully addressed as explained later in this report. © 2021 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved.