As part of UNICEF’s Qudwa strategy, the development of a positive parenting mobile application aimed to provide caregivers in Lebanon with accessible, relevant parenting information.[1] MAGENTA Consulting, responsible for the app’s development, engaged ITAR Consultants to conduct two key research assignments:
- Formative Needs Assessment (Pre-Development) – Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian caregivers to explore: (1) information needs related to parenting, (2) barriers to adopting ideal parenting practices, and (3) smartphone and app usage habits among the target audience.
- Pilot Testing (Post-Development) – Once the application was developed, a structured pilot test was conducted. Participants engaged in: (1) individual sessions to assess user experience, and (2) group discussions to evaluate strengths and suggest improvement.
This research directly informed content refinement and usability enhancements, ensuring the application was user-friendly, relevant, and impactful for diverse caregiver groups in Lebanon.
[1] Qudwa, Social and Behavioural Change Communications Plan to Prevent Violence against Children & Women, Child Marriage and Child Labour.
