Research and evaluation services that help organizations understand needs, assess implementation and outcomes, measure impact, generate evidence and improve policy and program decisions.
8 approved service lines
What this domain covers
Eight approved service lines spanning evaluation, measurement systems, impact
assessment, Theory of Change, needs assessment, applied research, survey
research and stakeholder insight work.
How we approach evaluation
We start with the decision, not the data. Before designing anything, we
establish what the organization or its funder needs to decide. Evaluations
designed without that anchor tend to measure what is easy to measure.
We make assumptions explicit. A Theory of Change is useful because it forces
a program to state what it believes — that these activities, for this population,
under these conditions, will produce these results. Once written down, those
assumptions can be tested rather than presumed.
We design proportionately. A rigorous methodology the organization cannot
execute produces worse evidence than a simpler design executed well. We match
the design to available capacity, data systems and budget.
We report what the evidence supports. Where findings are strong, we say so.
Where data is thin, the sample is limited, or results are inconclusive, we state
that plainly. The level of causal inference we claim is determined by the design,
the data, ethics and feasibility — not by what would be most flattering.
Overstated findings damage an organization’s credibility with the funders and
oversight bodies that matter most to it.
Measurement that continues
Much of this work is building systems rather than producing a single study:
indicator definitions the organization can apply consistently, collection
protocols staff can follow, dashboards that update as data arrives, and
reporting templates that meet funder requirements without a reconstruction
exercise each cycle.
The intent is that measurement becomes an operating routine rather than a
periodic project.
Approved service lines
All 8 services in this domain
Each service line carries an explicit scope boundary, so it is clear what a given engagement will and will not deliver.
4.1
Program, Process & Implementation Evaluation
Evaluates how programs are designed and implemented, whether processes operate as intended, and how implementation conditions influence performance and results.
Program evaluation design
Process evaluation
Implementation evaluation
Fidelity and quality assessment
Mixed-methods evaluation
Evaluation findings and recommendations
Scope boundary — Impact and outcome measurement may be included in an evaluation, but is also offered as a dedicated service when rigorous outcome measurement is the primary need.
4.2
Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Performance Measurement Systems
Designs integrated systems for indicators, data collection, monitoring, evaluation, learning, reporting and performance use across programs and portfolios.
MEL framework design
Indicator frameworks
Monitoring plans
Data collection and reporting systems
Learning agendas and review cycles
Performance measurement systems
Data-use processes
Scope boundary — This service builds the measurement system; individual evaluations or research studies may be commissioned separately.
4.3
Impact & Outcome Measurement
Measures program or intervention outcomes and, where appropriate, estimates contribution or impact using fit-for-purpose quantitative and qualitative designs.
Outcome frameworks
Baseline and follow-up measurement
Impact measurement design
Contribution analysis
Outcome tracking
Quantitative and qualitative impact evidence
Scope boundary — The level of causal inference is determined by the available design, data, ethics, feasibility and client requirements.
4.4
Theory of Change & Logic Model Development
Clarifies how activities are expected to produce outputs, outcomes and longer-term impact, creating a shared foundation for program design, measurement and evaluation.
Theory of change development
Logic models
Results chains
Assumption and risk articulation
Indicator alignment
Facilitated theory-of-change workshops
Scope boundary — May be delivered as a standalone engagement or as a component of program design, MEL or evaluation work.
4.5
Needs Assessments
Uses structured evidence to identify needs, gaps, priorities, demand, barriers and service requirements for target populations, organizations, communities or programs.
Community and organizational needs assessment
Gap and service-demand analysis
Stakeholder input
Secondary data review
Priority-setting methods
Needs assessment reporting
Scope boundary — Training-specific needs assessments are covered under Training Needs Assessment when the primary purpose is learning and workforce development.
4.6
Applied Research, Policy Analysis & Studies
Conducts applied research and policy studies that synthesize evidence, analyze options, examine implementation questions and produce decision-ready findings.
Applied research studies
Policy analysis
Evidence reviews
Landscape and environmental scans
Comparative analysis
Case studies
Research reports and briefs
Scope boundary — This service is research-oriented and does not constitute legal advice or formal regulatory interpretation.
4.7
Survey Research, Data Collection & Qualitative/Quantitative Analysis
Designs and executes surveys and mixed-methods data collection, then analyzes quantitative and qualitative evidence to answer program, policy and organizational questions.
Survey design
Questionnaire development
Sampling support
Interviews and focus groups
Quantitative analysis
Qualitative coding and analysis
Mixed-methods integration
Scope boundary — Operational BI and dashboard work is covered under Data Analytics when the primary purpose is ongoing management rather than research.
4.8
Customer, Stakeholder & Beneficiary Research and Insights
Generates evidence about customer, stakeholder and beneficiary needs, experiences, behaviors, satisfaction and barriers to improve programs, services and policy decisions.
Customer and beneficiary research
Experience and satisfaction research
Stakeholder research
Journey and barrier research
Voice-of-customer and beneficiary studies
Insight synthesis and recommendations
Scope boundary — When the goal is direct digital service redesign, findings may feed the Digital Service Design, User Experience & Customer Experience service.
Engagement approach
How an engagement in this domain runs
The emphasis shifts with scope, but the sequence is consistent.
01
Discover
We establish what decision the evaluation is meant to inform. An evaluation without a decision attached to it produces a report nobody uses.
02
Diagnose
We build the Theory of Change or logic model that makes the program’s assumptions explicit and shows what would have to be true for it to work.
03
Design
We select indicators, methods and data sources proportionate to the program’s scale and the organization’s capacity to collect data reliably.
04
Implement
We gather quantitative and qualitative evidence, check data quality, and analyze against the questions the evaluation set out to answer.
05
Measure
We report findings plainly — including inconclusive ones — with the limitations of the design stated rather than smoothed over.
06
Sustain
We set up ongoing monitoring so measurement becomes an operating routine rather than a periodic project.
