Skills of Social Work-Fact Finding
Introduction
Facts are pieces of information about the particular problems which exist in the community that can be independently verified by generally accepted research methods as reliable and a sound bases for decision making and dispute resolution. Facts may involve technical questions such as: the number of people living in a particular area, number of acres of land under irrigation, the cost of constructing and supplying a refugee camp, risks associated with a chemical plant, or the amount of money that a company can afford to pay its employees and still remain competitive. There are also factual questions involving the law, such as: What exactly are the procedures for removing an elected official from office? Who owns a particular piece of land? What are the legal rights that citizens have when accused of a crime?
Moreover, whenever we do fact finding as student social workers, we need to look into; 1. Demography "How many people live in this area?” is clearly a major factor in determining the demand for the particular problem. Other questions concern the density (how many people per square kilometer?) and the age and sex distribution. How many elderly or sick people who may be handicapped in getting this problem? What are the rates for births and deaths (if known) and how do these compare to national figures? What are the rates and patterns of migration (is it seasonal or permanent? are the people moving in from other areas?). These comparisons are important, as we need to know how "typical" any particular area is. 2. Environment “What is the physical area that we are dealing with? Is this clearly marked or should-it be arbitrarily defined? What resources (especially land, soils, and vegetation) are available? What is known about climate, water, slopes, drainage? 3. Historical “There are two good reasons for knowing at least the general outline of local history recognizing the significance of important places and major persons. First, the
Facts are pieces of information about the particular problems which exist in the community that can be independently verified by generally accepted research methods as reliable and a sound bases for decision making and dispute resolution. Facts may involve technical questions such as: the number of people living in a particular area, number of acres of land under irrigation, the cost of constructing and supplying a refugee camp, risks associated with a chemical plant, or the amount of money that a company can afford to pay its employees and still remain competitive. There are also factual questions involving the law, such as: What exactly are the procedures for removing an elected official from office? Who owns a particular piece of land? What are the legal rights that citizens have when accused of a crime?
Moreover, whenever we do fact finding as student social workers, we need to look into; 1. Demography "How many people live in this area?” is clearly a major factor in determining the demand for the particular problem. Other questions concern the density (how many people per square kilometer?) and the age and sex distribution. How many elderly or sick people who may be handicapped in getting this problem? What are the rates for births and deaths (if known) and how do these compare to national figures? What are the rates and patterns of migration (is it seasonal or permanent? are the people moving in from other areas?). These comparisons are important, as we need to know how "typical" any particular area is. 2. Environment “What is the physical area that we are dealing with? Is this clearly marked or should-it be arbitrarily defined? What resources (especially land, soils, and vegetation) are available? What is known about climate, water, slopes, drainage? 3. Historical “There are two good reasons for knowing at least the general outline of local history recognizing the significance of important places and major persons. First, the