When project assumptions can be wrong
As an experienced consultant, it is important to be able to make reasonable assumptions within the parameters of a project. For example, what research method is most likely to work best with a given audience, stakeholder group or other cohort, how much time respondents will be willing to give in in-depth interviews or focus groups, […]
Read moreThe healing power of music
This weekend I sang in a memorial concert with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for a long term chorister and friend who recently died after a six year illness. She was an inspiring woman and a dear friend to many. In lieu of a public funeral she organised her own musical memorial concert comprising a handful of […]
Read more5 problems with statistics
It is not unreasonable for funding bodies of government programs to want hard evidence to justify money they have spent on a program or initiative, or to help them make future decisions relating to where their funds may be directed in the future. Although data and statistics can be powerful tools for these purposes, it […]
Read moreSocial media monitoring in evaluation projects
To conduct a program evaluation is fundamentally about exploring the extent to which the initiative meets its intended objectives. We are currently evaluating an arts-based program Creative Capricorn being rolled out in Rockhampton over a period of three years. It involves the integration of artistic and cultural programs to help diversify the local economy and […]
Read moreComputer software and qualitative research analysis
A client recently asked whether I would recommend a particular software program to assist in analysing qualitative research data. There are a number of these types of programs around; two or three are well known. She told me her department was considering purchasing it to help them collate and interpret a growing number of consultation […]
Read moreDeliberative Engagement Methods
Deliberative democracy is one of the major growth areas in contemporary social science and community engagement in the world. The use of deliberative methods of community engagement has increased in the last 30 years, partly in response to public discontent with previous public participation experiences and a decreased in the trust of government decisions without […]
Read moreTips on how to choose the right social research or market research firm
There are many market and social research firms in Australia that can help you with your project. An initial Google search of market research firms in Australia brings 242 million responses. Where do you start with that sort of information? It can feel more overwhelming than helpful to have that much choice. Choosing the wrong […]
Read moreInterview techniques for evaluation and social research projects
Working as a social research and evaluation consultant, there are lots of people to interview, data to gather and information to analyse. What makes us experts in our field is not the amount of legwork that we do, but rather, the set of operating principles we work under. When we talk about ‘best practice’ research […]
Read moreTwo approaches to disaster recovery
Following Queensland’s natural disasters in the Lockyer Valley, Ipswich and the Cassowary Coast in early 2011, and the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in 2009, the Queensland and Victorian State Governments, along with the Federal Government, trialled innovative models of support for disaster-affected communities by using arts-led and creative activities. My evaluations showed that arts-led […]
Read moreFive challenges in conducting social research for local government
There are many reasons for conducting social research for local government. Local councils may wish to test a concept or idea amongst its rate payers, there could be a program or initiative they have been running for a while with little evidence about how it is performing, or perhaps councils may need to assess the […]
Read more