Services
Program Evaluation
Survey Design and/or Analysis
Training Services
Demographic Analysis
Social Science Consultants uses mixed methods to appropriately assess the processes and impacts of interventions. Methods are tailored to the problem at hand and the resources available. Methods used may include informal and formal interviews, focus groups, surveys, analysis of administrative data, and data triangulation. Evaluations may be conducted mid-term to determine how programs can improve, or terminally, to assess for funders the impact of their investment.
Evaluation Oversight
Evaluation Plans
Working with Social Science Consultants, even prior to the start of an intervention, can help organizations assure that their programs are designed appropriately. Meeting with Social Science Consultants on a quarterly basis is a cost-effective way to assure that programs are operating as intended and are collecting relevant, valid, and credible data on the program and its participants.
Organizations applying for grants are often asked to include an evaluation plan in their grant application. Social Science Consultants develops for organizations such plans, at times with short-term notice.
Economic Consulting
Social Science Consultants offers economic consulting services. Our economic consultants are usually faculty at top universities. These services include both microeconomic and macroeconomic analysis.
Social Science Consultants has expertise and experience developing high quality survey instruments. Social Science consultants aims to collect only information that will be of use. We use state-of-the-art methods to design surveys that will achieve high response rates and valid information. Social Science Consultants can also analyze survey results to respond to the needs of clients.
Demographic services include the estimation and projection of populations and sub-populations and analysis of components of population change.
Social Science Consultants carries out needs assessments. Organizations are wise to determine the need for interventions to determine a priori the intervention to design.
Needs Assessments
Social Science Consultants can carry out thorough and up-to-date literature reviews. When done in the context of an evaluation, a literature review is done on the theory of change of the intervention.
Literature Reviews
High Level Stakeholder Interviews
Social Science Consultants has experience interviewing stakeholders at the highest levels in a sensitive and confidential manner. Organizations often have a need to receive the feedback from high level stakeholders.
Social Science Consultants tailors workshops to the needs, and time constraints of clients. Its consultants have experience leading the following workshops:
• Evaluation Essentials (option of 2-day, 1-day, and ½ day sessions). If an organization is embarking on integrating an evaluative approach into its work, we recommend that a​ll in the organization be trained to some extent in evaluation. The level of the training should depend on the role of organizatio
• Data analysis Training is provided on approaches and techniques used to analyzing data.
• Displaying data A workshop covers the art and science of creating compelling graphics from the analysis of data.
• Statistics Training is offered on any level of conducting statistical analysis. Training is tailored to the needs of organizations or small groups.
• Survey Design For organizations that implement numerous surveys, building in-house capacity in survey design and using electronic survey instruments can be cost-efficient.
• Creating a data collection and analysis plan Before collecting data, it is wise to have a plan of how each data element will be used. Having such a plan prevents organizations from collecting more information than necessary, and thus leads to cost savings.