At LLEARN, our methodology is rooted in a research-to-action cycle that places displaced communities, local actors, and secondary cities at the heart of reintegration efforts. We don’t just collect data — we co-create solutions. Here’s how:

  • 1. Locally Led, Context-Driven Research

    We believe that those closest to the issue are closest to the solution. That’s why our fieldwork is driven by local and city-based partners across Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda — partners who bring trust, lived knowledge, and strategic insight. From enumerator training to forum facilitation, implementation is locally owned and supported by Samuel Hall’s technical team.

  • 2. Mixed-Methods Approach

    We combine qualitative and quantitative tools to understand the lived experiences of returnees, refugees, IDPs, and host communities in five urban contexts.

    Our tools include:

    Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with policy-makers, service providers, and community leaders

    Semi-Structured Interviews (SSIs) with displaced individuals, returnees and refugees

    Representative Household Surveys using spatial sampling and community walks

    Policy and Stakeholder Mapping to unpack systems, mandates, and gaps

  • 3. Participatory Co-Production

    Research is just the beginning. Our findings are translated into action through:

    Co-Creation Workshops with youth, civil society, and local communities

    Participatory Forums that design city-level reintegration plans

    Joint Analysis sessions to validate and contextualise findings

Our Foundations

Guiding Principles

All our work is grounded in four core principles:

  • Local Leadership: Implementation by local actors for long-term sustainability

  • Participation: From data collection to planning, we build together

  • Feminist & Decolonial Values: Research that shares authorship, centres marginalised voices, and avoids extractive practices

  • Evidence to Action: Findings feed directly into local policies, tools, and pilot projects.

Operational Excellence

We uphold the highest standards in ethics, safeguarding, and data quality. Our approach includes:

  • Trauma-informed and rights-based methods

  • Robust informed consent processes

  • Daily quality control and transcript verification

  • GDPR-compliant data protection protocols

Urban Systems Thinking

We focus on secondary cities — those often overlooked but vital to managing displacement. Our methodology recognises the complexity of these urban systems, accounting for:

  • Governance structures

  • Climate and economic shocks

  • Spatial inequalities and access gaps