Baseline studies and diagnostic assessments
Establishing the baseline, context analysis, and stakeholder and needs mapping before a programme is launched or adjusted.
SurveysDesk reviewMapping
Research and studies
Understand first, then act: research for the same decision-makers.
Beyond evaluation, we conduct applied studies and research that inform the design, implementation and advocacy work of the same audiences: development agencies, public institutions, NGOs and civil society organisations.
Who it's forDevelopment agencies, public institutions, NGOs and CSOs
ApproachesSix families of methods: qualitative, quantitative and mixed
ProcessSix explicit steps, from the research question to reporting standards
Six approaches
The right method for the question at hand.
Qualitative research
Case studies, grounded theory, phenomenology and rapid qualitative approaches to understand experiences, norms and practices.
InterviewsFocus groupsObservation
Implementation research
Process evaluation and implementation frameworks to understand why an intervention works, or does not, on the ground.
ProcessFidelityScale-up
Quantitative surveys
Sampling designs, power calculations, validated questionnaires and scales, digital data collection and statistical analysis.
SamplingScalesStatistics
Evidence syntheses
Systematic, scoping, rapid or realist reviews; meta-analysis and thematic synthesis to answer a specific question.
ProtocolScreeningSynthesis
Participatory and complexity-aware approaches
Most significant change (MSC), outcome harvesting, realist approaches and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) for complex programmes.
ParticipationSystemsContribution
Our research process
An explicit research process, in six steps.
From the choice of paradigm to reporting standards, every study follows the same six steps.
- Question and paradigmA clear research question and a pragmatist stance that supports mixed methods.
- DesignQualitative, quantitative, causal or theory-based, depending on the question asked.
- Sampling and instrumentsPurposive sampling, saturation, statistical power, pre-tested instruments.
- AnalysisFramework method, thematic analysis, statistical modelling, causal graphs.
- IntegrationJoint displays and triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data.
- Quality and reportingRecognised reporting guidelines, credible and transparent findings.
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