Research Methodology

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Lecture2
1
SOCIAL & EVALUATIVE RESEARCH
2
SOCIAL RESEARCH
• Social Research is a method used by social
scientists and researchers to learn about
people and societies so that they can design
products/services that cater to various needs
of the people.
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EVALUATIVE RESEARCH
• Evaluation research can be defined as a type of study that uses standard social
research methods for evaluative purposes, as a specific research methodology,
and as an assessment process that employs special techniques unique to the
evaluation of programs.
• Several evaluation methods including input measurement, output/
performance measurement, impact/outcomes assessment, service quality
assessment, process evaluation, benchmarking, quantitative methods,
qualitative methods, cost analysis, organizational effectiveness, program
evaluation methods are used for this research.
• Other aspects of evaluative research considered are the steps of planning and
conducting an evaluation study and the measurement process, including the
gathering of statistics and the use of data collection techniques. The process of
data analysis and the evaluation report are also given attention.
• It is concluded that evaluation research should be a rigorous, systematic
process that involves collecting data about organizations, processes, programs,
services, and/or resources.
• Evaluation research should enhance knowledge and decision making and lead
to practical applications.
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EVALUATION*
• An evaluation captures intended and unintended effects.
Evaluations investigate the reasons why certain aspects of a
project or programme have failed or have not been
implemented as planned.
*Guidelines for Project and Programme Evaluations, Australian Development Cooperation, 2009
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TYPES OF EVALUATION
a) Formative evaluations strengthen or improve the object being
evaluated -- they help to examine the delivery of the program or
technology, the quality of its implementation, and the
assessment of the organizational context, personnel, procedures,
inputs, and so on.
a) Summative evaluations, in contrast, examine the effects or
outcomes and impact of some object -- assessing whether the
object can be said to have caused the outcome; determining the
overall impact of the factor beyond outcomes; and estimating
the relative costs associated with the intervention.
6
METHODOLOGY OF EVALUATIVE
RESEARCH
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EVALUATION
METHODOLOGY
 Terms of Reference (TOR)
 Project Documents & Literature
Review
 Identifying Research Indicators
 Devising Survey methodology
 Data Collection
 Data Analysis & Interpretation
 Findings & Conclusion
 Recommendation
 Report
8
WHAT ARE INDICATORS?
 Indicators are “signals” of achievement or change related
to an expected result
 An indicator is a qualitative or quantitative measure of
performance: a number, a fact, an opinion or a perception
that acts as a pointer along a scale or dimension
 Indicators help us measure achievement against
performance targets established jointly by project
stakeholders for expected results
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IDENTIFYING KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The “CREAM” of Good Performance

A good performance indicator must be:
Clear (Precise and unambiguous)
Relevant (Appropriate to subject)
Economic (Available at reasonable cost)
Adequate (Must provide a sufficient basis to assess

performance)
Monito rable (Must be amenable to independent validation)
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QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE
INDICATORS
 Measures of quantity  Measures quality
 # or %  Can be more subjective -
 Sources of info: count, based on perception,
document review, opinion or level of
surveys, census, satisfaction
questionnaire  Sources of info: focus
groups, testimonials
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TYPICAL ACTIVITY INDICATORS TO TRACK
• Amount of products, services
delivered
• #/type of customers/clients For example:
served # of clients served
• Timeliness of service provision # of consultations
• Accessibility and convenience of # of workshops held
service # of attendees
- Location; hours of operation; staff # of referrals
availability Quality of service
• Accuracy, adequacy, relevance of
assistance
• Courteousness
• Customer satisfaction
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Some Examples…
Quantitative Indicators: Qualitative Indicators:
 Ratio of women & men board  Level of HIV/AIDS awareness
directors or committee members among at-risk youth
 Level of satisfaction of partners

 Number of projects or partner
with organization development
organizations that produce annual support disaggregated by type of
result-based performance reports support
that rely on key performance
indicators  Extent of implementation for new
legislative acts related to
 Percentage of regional legislative maternal and child health
bodies that produce and approve
child health initiatives
 Percentage of population at risk with

respect to Type–II diabetes
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Remember
• Indicators are always neutral such like the # of, % of,

completion, perception of, level of understanding.
• There should be a maximum of 2-3 indicators to measure
the achievement of a result.
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INDICATOR SELECTION CHECKLIST
1. Measure the expected results □
2. Show trends over time □
3. Present appropriately disaggregated information □
4. To the extent possible use available information □
5. Be cost effective and be feasible to collect and analyze □
6. Need to measure positive as well as potential negative directions

□
(all indicators must be neutral)
7. Be developed in a participatory fashion □

8. Have two to three indicators per result: at least one qualitative and one
□
quantitative
9. One of the indicators per result measures sex-disaggregated data and /or
□
advances in gender equality.
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The “CREAM” of Good Performance

Clear (Precise and unambiguous)

Relevant (Appropriate to subject)

Economic (Available at reasonable cost)

Adequate (Must provide a sufficient basis to assess

 Level of satisfaction of partners

 Percentage of population at risk with

• Indicators are always neutral such like the # of, % of,

6. Need to measure positive as well as potential negative directions

7. Be developed in a participatory fashion □

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