Rockhampton Retrospective – 3 years, 8 key challenges
Creative Capricorn was a three-year cultural program rolled out in Rockhampton, Queensland. Its aim was to demonstrate that when integrated into economics, social and community planning, arts and cultural projects can assist in the diversification of local economies, increase social cohesion and improve quality of life for the community. NSF was commissioned to evaluate this […]
Read moreLow carbohydrate? Or poor performance indicators?
I recently purchased a loaf of ‘low carbohydrate’ bread (see image). Now, looking at this loaf, I think you will agree there is no denying that this loaf would be lower in carbohydrates than other loaves. But that is possibly because it has a great big hole in it. I’m only kidding, of course, but […]
Read moreHow do you decide who to recruit for your research?
Typically, evaluation and research is about human beings. Our focus of interest is often users of programs or initiatives. They may be individuals, social groups, special interest groups, clubs, companies, cities or countries. We need to identify people willing to provide their experiences, thoughts, ratings, assessments, or other input into the topic of interest. But […]
Read moreNumbers or words? The qualitative vs quantitative debate
Over the past 20 years or so, a debate over the relative virtues of quantitative and qualitative methodology has gained considerable momentum. In the field of social research and evaluation, quantitative research has been considered as the more ‘traditional’ approach to addressing a research question. Decades ago, researchers advocating for the use of qualitative methods […]
Read moreHow significant is that?
When you look at survey results do you ask yourself ‘Are there numbers statistically significant? Yes or no?’ ‘Significance’ is a commonly used word in statistics. Significance tests suggest confidence in survey findings; that the findings matter and are meaningful. But perhaps a term like ‘meaningful’ may be a more helpful way to assess statistics […]
Read moreHow good is good?
The practice of evaluation involves arriving at succinct answers to important questions. This is also known as evaluative reasoning. Evaluative reasoning is what distinguishes from research. Evaluations involve conducting research, but they go further, to determine merit of worth, with the aim of making evaluative conclusions. To evaluate is to make deductive arguments and claims […]
Read moreActionable Evaluation – 6 elements
Have you seen evaluation reports that may be technically adequate and accurate, yet are almost impossible to decipher? They may have been full of detailed charts, tables, statistics, and qualitative research findings, yet they seemed to make no sense and it was difficult to understand their purpose. According to internationally recognised evaluation specialist, E. Jane […]
Read moreSticking your neck out- choosing focus groups or individual interviews
Qualitative research provides researchers and evaluators with detailed information about attitudes, views, behaviour and preferences. Two common qualitative research techniques are focus groups (group discussions) and one-on-one interviews (also called in-depth interviews). The interactive nature of both of these approaches means that their success is dependent on the skills of the interviewer or moderator. There […]
Read moreEstimating market size like Fermi
Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) was an eminent physicist who developed a knack for intuitive, even casual sounding measurements. The value of quick estimates was something Fermi was familiar with. He was well known for teaching his students skills to approximate fanciful-sounding quantities that, at first glance, they might presume they knew nothing about. The best […]
Read moreThe long and short of measurement
The concept of measurement can be daunting. As a research and evaluation consultant I am often asked whether my approach will be ‘statistically significant’ or how reliable the outcomes will be. Here are a few basic elements of evaluation and measurement which should hopefully address some of these questions. The concept of measurement The […]
Read more