Research · Evidence · Impact Assessment
Generate credible evidence on needs, systems, programmes, stakeholders and social change—then convert that evidence into clearer strategy, stronger design and better decisions.
Clarifying the Assignment
The right study begins by defining the decision and evidence gap, not by selecting a familiar label or method.
01
Generates new understanding about people, systems, needs, markets, policies, behaviours or implementation contexts.
Typical use: Used when an organisation needs evidence before designing, investing, entering a market, selecting a strategy or making a policy decision.
02
Systematically assesses a programme, policy or intervention against defined questions, criteria and intended results.
Typical use: Used when stakeholders need to understand relevance, implementation, effectiveness, outcomes, value, impact or sustainability.
03
Examines significant positive or negative changes associated with an intervention, investment, programme or organisational activity.
Typical use: Used for accountability, learning, portfolio decisions, reporting, risk management, funding and future programme design.
Research & Impact Assessment Services
Engage Tridifa for a complete study or for focused support around research design, fieldwork, analysis, impact assessment, synthesis or reporting.
Understand needs, vulnerabilities, assets, service gaps, stakeholder priorities and local systems before programme design or investment.
Analyse demographic, livelihood, income, service-access, vulnerability and behavioural conditions through household and community-level research.
Examine policy environments, institutional roles, implementation systems, incentives, governance arrangements and stakeholder perspectives.
Map organisations, funders, service providers, initiatives, gaps, trends and partnership opportunities within a sector or geography.
Test whether a proposed programme, service, delivery model or expansion pathway is needed, workable, acceptable and sustainable.
Establish starting conditions, comparison values, stakeholder profiles and programme-relevant indicators before implementation or scale-up.
Combine surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, administrative data and participatory methods to answer complex questions.
Understand experiences, expectations, barriers, satisfaction, trust, participation and perceived change across stakeholder groups.
Investigate how programmes operate in practice, why implementation varies and which contextual or system factors influence results.
Assess intended and unintended social changes, stakeholder distribution, inclusion, risks, outcomes and sustainability using proportionate methods.
Consolidate research, programme evidence, policy documents and stakeholder knowledge into a reliable synthesis for strategy or programme decisions.
Translate complex findings into technically credible reports, executive summaries, policy briefs, case studies and stakeholder-ready presentations.
Question-Led Research
Different questions require different evidence. A credible study may use one method or combine several, depending on the intended decision, context, ethics, existing data and feasibility.
Needs assessment, situational analysis, secondary review, stakeholder interviews and community research
Household survey, service mapping, administrative data, market sizing and demographic analysis
Barrier analysis, qualitative inquiry, behavioural research, journey mapping and stakeholder interviews
Feasibility study, option appraisal, capability assessment, demand research and risk analysis
Process research, observation, routine-data review, field inquiry and implementation pathway analysis
Outcome study, social impact assessment, longitudinal comparison, mixed methods and disaggregated analysis
Policy analysis, institutional mapping, political-economy inquiry and stakeholder network analysis
Evidence synthesis, triangulation, options analysis, scenario assessment and decision-focused reporting
Tridifa Research Process
The process protects methodological quality while keeping the final evidence focused on practical use.
Clarify the decision, intended users, evidence gap, stakeholders, context and boundaries of the study.
Assess available research, programme data, policies, reports and knowledge before generating new data.
Develop the questions, methodology, sampling, instruments, ethics, analysis plan and quality controls.
Test tools, train teams, refine procedures and confirm field, data-security and stakeholder protocols.
Gather evidence while monitoring completeness, consistency, consent, inclusion and field implementation.
Integrate quantitative, qualitative, documentary and contextual evidence to test patterns and explanations.
Examine findings with stakeholders, consider alternative explanations and connect evidence to context.
Translate findings into reports, briefs, presentations, recommendations and practical decision pathways.
Evidence Quality
A strong study aligns the question, design, participants, analysis and communication. It is also transparent about assumptions, limitations and uncertainty.
01
Every question and data point should connect to a real programme, policy, investment or management decision.
02
The design should be credible for the question without creating unnecessary complexity, burden or cost.
03
Consent, privacy, participant protection, accessibility and representation must be considered throughout the study.
04
Interpretation must reflect local systems, power, culture, implementation conditions and stakeholder differences.
05
Important conclusions should draw on multiple sources, methods or perspectives where feasible.
06
Methods, assumptions, limitations, uncertainty and evidence quality should be communicated clearly.
07
Analysis should examine whether needs, access, experience or outcomes differ across relevant groups.
08
The final products must make the implications, priorities and recommended actions easy to understand.
Methods Toolkit
Studies may combine primary, secondary, qualitative, quantitative, participatory and institutional evidence.
Evidence Use
The research report is not the endpoint—the decision is
Decision-Ready Communication
Technical credibility matters, but evidence must also be interpretable by the people who will use it. Tridifa separates findings, interpretation, limitations and recommendations so decision-makers can see what the evidence supports.
Clear answer to each research question
Disaggregated findings where differences matter
Alternative explanations and limitations
Implications for programme, policy or investment choices
Prioritised and feasible recommendations
Different products for technical and executive audiences
When to Engage
A programme is being designed before the needs, barriers or service landscape are adequately understood.
Leadership is relying on assumptions or anecdotal evidence for a major strategic decision.
Existing reports contain data but do not provide a coherent interpretation or decision pathway.
The organisation is entering a new geography, sector, stakeholder group or service model.
Different stakeholders disagree about the nature or scale of the problem.
A donor, CSR committee or Board requires an independent impact or socioeconomic assessment.
The programme needs stronger evidence on implementation, beneficiary experience or unintended effects.
A policy brief, investment case, programme design or scale-up decision requires credible synthesis.
Sector Applications
Relevant questions, participants, indicators, data sources and interpretations differ across sectors and programme systems.
Typical Engagement Outputs
Deliverables are selected around the research question, audience, decision, data environment and ethical requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Research generates new knowledge about a question or context. Evaluation systematically assesses a programme, policy or intervention against defined questions or criteria. Impact assessment focuses on significant positive or negative changes associated with an intervention, investment or activity. A single assignment may combine elements of all three.
A social research consultant helps define research questions, review evidence, design methods, develop tools, conduct or oversee fieldwork, analyse qualitative and quantitative data, interpret findings and communicate implications for programmes, policy or investment decisions.
A needs assessment may examine population characteristics, vulnerabilities, services, barriers, assets, stakeholder priorities, existing initiatives, system gaps and local capacities. Methods can include secondary review, surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation and mapping.
A socioeconomic study examines social and economic conditions such as demographics, income, livelihoods, employment, education, health, assets, vulnerability, service access and community systems. The exact scope depends on the programme or decision.
A feasibility study is useful before launching, expanding or significantly redesigning a programme, service or enterprise model. It examines need, demand, delivery capability, stakeholder acceptance, costs, risks, operational requirements and sustainability.
Mixed-method research intentionally combines quantitative and qualitative evidence. Quantitative methods can estimate scale, frequency or patterns, while qualitative methods help explain experiences, mechanisms, context and meaning.
Sample size depends on the study objective, population, design, expected variability, precision, subgroup analysis, statistical power, clustering, non-response, resources and field feasibility. It should be justified by the intended analysis rather than selected as a standard percentage.
A social impact assessment should define the intervention and stakeholders, identify intended and unintended changes, examine distribution across groups, assess evidence and contribution, consider risks and sustainability, document limitations and provide practical management recommendations.
Yes. Depending on the assignment and geography, Tridifa can design and coordinate surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, participatory methods and other forms of primary field research with appropriate quality, ethics and data-management controls.
Yes. Some decisions can be supported through secondary research, administrative-data analysis, document review, evidence synthesis and expert or stakeholder consultation. New primary data should be collected only when existing evidence cannot answer the question credibly.
The approach should be proportionate to the study and may include informed consent, privacy safeguards, data minimisation, secure storage, anonymisation, participant protection, referral protocols and ethics-review requirements where applicable.
Tridifa supports research and impact assessment across health and public health, climate change, ESG and sustainability, skill development, livelihoods and market systems, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
Related Capabilities
Build the Evidence Behind the Decision
Tell us which decision your organisation is approaching, what is already known and where the evidence gap remains. We will help define a credible and proportionate research pathway.
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