Strategy & Research Services
Social Surveys Africa offers the full strategy & research cycle. Our focus is on ensuring a clear logical chain from problem identification to intended impact, via appropriate methodology choice and quality data generation, quality control and analysis techniques.
Full cycle research services
What do our Strategy & Research Services allow you to do?
You have identified a social or institutional problem, but are not sure how to find out more about it?
You have a clear research question and need a full-service research partner?
You want to sample a difficult-to-identify population but don’t have a sampling frame?
You are a research organisation looking for a specialised data collection service?
You are planning or running a research project and want occasional strategic inputs or peer review of various components (TOR design, questionnaire, quality control protocol, fieldworker training, analysis plan, etc.)?
You are doing a research project and want independent quality control?
You have research findings but want to validate them with affected communities and stakeholders?
You have completed data collection and want support with advanced data analysis, data visualisation and strategic findings interpretation?
How are we different?
So much research is Rubbish in, Rubbish out. Often there is little transparency on how questions are designed, samples drawn, data collectors trained, sample and protocol adherence checked, and analysis validated.
Research is still often managed as an ‘extractive industry’: data is mined as a ‘raw material’ by disempowered field ‘workers’, and the community which owns the information is hardly involved in value-add interpretation, validation or benefit.
In contrast, our principles are Quality In > Quality Out and Nothing for us without us.
Quality
In
Right method for the right question
High quality field researcher training
Intelligent fieldwork
Advanced quality control
Quality
In
Right method for the right question
High quality field researcher training
Intelligent fieldwork
Advanced quality control
Quality
Out
Advanced data science
Mapping & data visualisation
Contextually-relevant interpretation
30 years of insight
Quality
Out
Advanced data science
Mapping & data visualisation
Contextually-relevant interpretation
30 years of insight
Nothing For Us Without Us
Community-based researchers
Respect for field researcher context knowledge
Context, language and culture-sensitive design
Validation of findings by stakeholders
Understandable results presentations
Support community organisations to generate and understand own data
Nothing For Us Without Us
Community-based researchers
Respect for field researcher context knowledge
Context, language and culture-sensitive design
Validation of findings by stakeholders
Understandable results presentations
Support community organisations to generate and understand own data
Some of our Methods
Monitoring & Evaluation Systems
Process & Impact Evaluations
Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Representative surveys (face-to-face, telephonic, online, panel)
Cross sectional & longitudinal studies
Stakeholder engagement
Community mobilisation around evidence
Data literacy training
Advanced statistics and modelling
Data visualisation and mapping
Multi-media methods
Exploratory studies
Focus Groups
Observation and participative methods
Landscape Analysis
- Monitoring & Evaluation Systems
- Process & Impact Evaluations
- Customer Satisfaction Surveys
- Representative surveys (face-to-face, telephonic, online, panel)
- Cross sectional & longitudinal studies
- Stakeholder engagement
- Community mobilisation around evidence
- Data literacy training
- Advanced statistics and modelling
- Data visualisation and mapping
- Multi-media methods
- Exploratory studies
- Focus Groups
- Observation and participative methods
- Landscape Analysis
Technical Assistance
In addition to designing and conducting full-cycle studies, we support the social research sector and evidence-based decision-makers with independent technical assistance.
Monitoring & Evaluation support
In addition to designing and conducting full cycle M&E studies (such as implementation and impact evaluations), we provide short-term support to organisations to quality control and upgrade their M&E systems, including Theory of Change development facilitation, indicator and monitoring system design, standardise and digitise monitoring data collection, and analyse existing monitoring data for strategic decision-making.
Contact us to see if one of our M&E support packages is for you. We can provide support on site in Johannesburg or remotely anywhere on the African continent.
Short-term Research Support
Conducting your own study but want independent advice or peer review of specific components (TOR, sample design, questionnaire design, field researcher training, data analysis plan, advanced data analysis, etc.)
Contact us to see if one of our short-term research support packages is for you. We can provide support on site in Johannesburg or remotely anywhere on the African continent.
Quality control services
Data collection is an intensive and expensive exercise therefore it is important that the collected data is complete, reliable and usable. To achieve this one must employ an effective quality control protocol. We design quality control protocols based on the study objectives and the methodology employed to ensure that the collected data can be relied upon. We can design a quality protocol for you, check your quality control protocol or do quality control for you.
Contact us to see if one of our quality control hourly packages is for you. We can provide support on site in Johannesburg or remotely anywhere on the African continent.
Rates for Technical Assistance Services
Package
5 hour package
10 hour package
15 hour package
Monthly retainer for 5 hours per month for 6 months
Monthly retainer for 5 hours per month for 12 months
Full Rate
R 8500
R 15500
R 21000
R 8000 per month
R 7500 per month
NPO and Community Rate
R 7500
R 13000
R 18000
R 7500 per month
R 7250 per month
5 hr package
Full Rate: R8 500
NPO and Community Rate: R7 500
10 hour package
Full Rate: R15 500
NPO and Community Rate: R13 000
15 hour package
Full Rate: R21 000
NPO and Community Rate: R18 000
Monthly retainer for 5 hours per month for 6 months
Full Rate: R8 000 per month
NPO and Community Rate: R7 500 per month
Monthly retainer for 5 hours per month for 12 months
Full Rate: R7 500 per month
NPO and Community Rate: R7 250 per month
Who can use our Strategy & Research Services?
Companies, Civil Society Organisations & Government Departments and Municipalities wanting to make strategic, evidence-based decisions, improve their M&E systems and support their in-house research processes.
Researchers wanting data collection services, technical support or interpretation assistance.
Communities wanting to mobilise and engage with municipalities using reliable and up-to-date data about themselves.
Who is using this already?
See some of our current and recent projects and some of our past clients
How can I access this?
Social Surveys Africa offers bespoke strategy and research services. For more information, contact info@socialsurveys.co.za or call 011 486 1025.
2 Upper Park Drive, Forest Town
Johannesburg, 2193
South Africa
+27 11 486 1025
info@socialsurveys.co.za