Summary

This report covers:

• Research Question & Themes
• Research components
• Progress report on components

The research questions for the Nepal ACM research can be understood as occurring at 3 levels: strategic research questions; Nepal research themes; and field level questions. The Primary Strategic research question and its three subsidiary strategic research questions are the same as those addressed by all other countries in the ACM Project. The research team has also broken these 3 questions down further to form 10 smaller research themes (i.e., key variables or parameters), which cross-cut the 3 questions (see below) and which we shall use as the basis for research and analysis. These themes - currently in draft form -- were generated by the Nepal based ACM researchers following discussion and input from a range of sources, including the ISC, the national Steering committee, and district and local stakeholders. They are intended to break down the 3 strategic questions into more manageable pieces, as well as contextualise them so that they will address Nepal stakeholders' needs and interests. Finally, the field level questions will form the third level of this tier - posing the most practical and tangible questions, or the 'building blocks' upon which the analysis will rest, for use by the researchers in the process of conducting the research. These are in the process of development.

The primary focus over the last 6 months has been on shaping the framework for the components in general and building partnerships, and specifically in getting started on one activity - the Main Case Study sites. Progress on this activity and on general research start up in Nepal (i.e. shaping the framework for the components, partnerships) is provided here. Remarks on status of all activities is included throughout Appendix B.