What a problem to have! Lately I’ve been talking to program managers who, having no travel expenditures and no in-person programming, marvel at the unusual but serious problem of being underspent.
No one wants to give that money back. No one wants that money back. Are there ways to strategically put it to use to strengthen your current programs, identify gaps and inform future activities? Yes, there are!
Opinion Research: a Strategic Use of Your Underspend
Consider allocating some of it to opinion research.
Being a pollster, I would say that, wouldn’t I? A strategic research program focused on target audiences and program partners can provide insight on the impact of your current work and help you design better future programs.
Specifically, research can:
- Help with fundraising by revealing new ideas to present to funders;
- Provide needs assessments for political parties or civil society;
- Add depth and context to your usual evaluations and indicators;
- Help you understand how your programs are perceived by participants/local partners and non-participants;
- Give you a more nuanced understanding of the political and social context in which you are operating;
- Test collateral materials with key audiences, particularly if you are concerned about sensitivity or unintended responses;
- Get below the top of mind, rote responses om post-activity evaluation questionnaires;
- Identify and refine target audiences for programs or outreach;
Online Qualitative Is Cost-Effective For Many Audiences
Online qualitative research, which includes focus groups and in-depth interviews, may cost less than you think (may!).
Focus groups are great for groups of partners or program participants with similar degrees of experience with a topic or a program. With online focus groups, there’s no need to travel or manage complicated logistics to collect the views of participants or partners spread around the country. That’s a huge cost saver. Data collection firms have become adept at managing the fieldwork and technical aspects. If you can get your target audience on a properly organized platform and hire a professional moderator, you can do focus groups.
Online platforms facilitate in-depth interviews with opinion leaders or specialized audiences. These are the types of participants who may not feel comfortable being honest in a group setting, are in competition for your grants, or who have specialized knowledge you want to explore in-depth. You can use your own staff as interviewers or use a professional with the simultaneous translation feature that some platforms make possible.
Some Research Is Almost Always Better Than None
You’ll never hear the argument from QGS that online research is superior to in-person. From a data collection, management and strategic perspective, it’s got a lot of shortcomings. However, you will hear us argue that some research can be better than no research. Even qualitative research that make some concessions on methodology can provide valuable insights that boost the effectiveness of your programs and help you get more funding. (The same is not always true for quantitative). This is especially true with niche audiences, like program participants.
You don’t have to (though you certainly can!) bring in a research consultant to help you manage the implementation. However, having 
someone experienced who can guide your thinking and design instruments that maximize your resources can ensure your limited funds are spent efficiently. QGS has conducted many of these types of evaluations in a variety of programming contexts. After watching your groups or conducting interviews, we can produce an analytical report with strategic recommendations for improvements or next steps.
We Can Help You Think Through it
Almost all D&G programming benefits from qualitative research in one dimension or another. There’s no excuse not to do it for large programs that are making big investments in communications and targeting. But it can really benefit small programs as well. Take advantage of it! If you are curious about what’s possible, contact QGS. We can give you some ideas.
