Evaluation tools

Content Interview Focus group

Interview are the main methods for collecting data in qualitative research. more structured the questions and the more limited the scope of possible answers, the more the results can be processed for quantitative analysis. Semi- or unstructured (“deep”) interviews are far more demanding in terms of the interviewers’ questioning and interpretative skills.

Advantages Triangulate quantitative findings In qualitative assessment are used in various settings, for the analysis of behaviour and structural patterns, for the interpretative analysis of narratives (e.g. about critical incidents) the exploration of stakeholders’ mind-sets.

Disatvantages reach only a part of the programme-related population depend on the willingness of addressees to respond. problem of the researcher’s bias in the selection of the interviewees and by the way he/she poses questions.

Preconditions Identify the most relevant person to interview. Set up the right environment Design the structure of interview Design relevant questions to answer

What needs to be decided? target group, procedure, place, Questions (maximum 10)

Focus group consist of a small number of individuals brought together to discuss a topic of interest, comprise not less than 7 and not more than 15 people, a far as possible stemming from different sub-groups of stakeholders (e.g. Managing Authority, implementing body, beneficiaries, independent experts, etc.), should be facilitated by an external moderator , usually comes together several times; it can as well be installed as a core element for the continuance of an ongoing evaluation

Advantages allow to verify collected qualitative and quantitative evidence with various types of stakeholders at the same time reflect the universe of intervetion´s stakeholders in a nutshell instruments for institutional learning area-based perspective of focus group discovers important factors not observed by the other evaluation tools

Disadvantages involves only a small number of people and topics. It is therefore of utmost importance to pick the “right people”, to find the right mix, and to avoid “one-way thinking” in the selection of participants. only “sketch” the topic at a certain moment of time. Unless they are repeated across time, they cannot provide a picture on the trends and tendencies.

Preconditions Identification of the most relevant participants. Carefully prepared method to run the focus group. Design relevant key questions to answer.