Incorporating qualitative assessment in

Impact Evaluations 30 March 2014

RBF Workshop, Buenos Aires, Argentina29

Kent Ranson | Senior Economist (Health), HRITF

Learning objectives

• Why do qualitative research?

• How can qualitative research contribute to IE?

• Ongoing work in Cameroon o How are subjects selected, data collected and

analysed?

• Other important considerations o Choosing and training a team, ethical

considerations, quality assurance

Why do qualitative research?

Why do qualitative research?

• Studying processes: the aim is to explain (e.g. an

intervention’s apparent success, or otherwise) rather than

merely describe

• “Behind every quantity there

is a quality” (Sobo 2009)

• Studying meaning: what is

important to people and

why?

o Influences social interactions and

ultimately health outcomes

How can

qualitative

research

contribute to IE?

Social construction / complexity lens

• Policy and systems shaped by politics,

culture, discourse

• Decisions diffused through system

• Problems (and solutions) are related to

understanding complexity

• Human ‘software’ critical to health

systems performance

Kabir Sheikh et al - 2011

Stages to which qualitative research can contribute

Intervention stage Qualitative research contribution

Process evaluation - Ongoing as the trial / intervention is implemented

- Is it going as planned?

- May look at quality, intervention delivery, intervention

receipt, reach (barriers to participation), context

- Can contribute to changes during the trial as well as to

an understanding of effect

Outcome evaluation - Changes in health worker and community perception

and behaviour, acceptability of intervention components

- Intended and unintended consequences

Video: PROCESS: Evaluating how the PRIME

intervention worked in practice

Ongoing work in Cameroon

Other important considerations

Clair Chandler et al - 2013

Choosing & training a team

• Building a good team

o Ensure the right people are involved at each stage;

o Where possible, skilled local qualitative research team leaders;

o May require technical support from social scientists at domestic or

international universities

o Foster relationships to achieve a team which is resilient and responsive to

changes

• Training

o Share learning across project sites;

o With RBF, the possibility to share learning across countries;

o Intensive training of 5 to 10 days may be required, even for those with

experience;

o Role-play and small group activities effective for training on data collection

and recording techniques

• Protecting research participants and honouring

trust;

• Anticipating harms;

• Avoiding undue intrusion;

• Negotiating informed consent;

• Rights to confidentiality and anonymity;

• Fair return for assistance;

• Participants’ intellectual property rights;

• Participants’ involvement in research.

Clair Chandler et al - 2013

Common ethical principles & practices

• Reflexivity – researcher “reflects” on position, assumptions and biases;

• Transparency;

• Comprehensiveness;

• Responsibility – understanding the role of each team member in producing good quality data;

• Ethical practice;

• Systematic approach – a methodical and logical process for achieving each stage of the research process.

Clair Chandler et al - 2013

Quality assurance

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to:

Chandler, C.I.R., Reynolds, J., Palmer, J. J., & Hutchinson, E.

(2013) ACT Consortium Guidance: Qualitative Methods for

International Health Intervention Research. Available at

www.actconsortium.org/qualitativemethodsguidance

Thank You