Development Solutions

The organisation collaborates with clients to extract valuable insights that contribute to institutional and sectoral knowledge advancement. Our approach involves fostering efficient documentation of best practices, facilitating knowledge management, and consolidating lessons learned to bolster overall effectiveness and informed decision-making. This particular aspect has gained increasing significance among the organizations it engages with. As an illustration, it recently conducted a comprehensive process and learning analysis of a technical support unit pilot integrated within a state government department. The study aimed to cultivate a conducive environment for data-driven decision-making in government and yielded recommendations for the subsequent phase of the pilot.

The organisation’s expertise extends to conducting independent impact evaluations, serving funders and program managers in making informed decisions, fostering learning and improvement, and communicating impact. It has conducted impact evaluations across diverse contexts, client types, issues, and regions. Notable examples include evaluating an anti-child labour project for a global foundation and assessing the impact of projects within a CSR division. The evaluation methodologies encompass experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental approaches, complemented by mixed-method evaluations utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The organisation has extensive experience in handling large sample sizes and has also undertaken various process evaluations, focusing on implementation fidelity, contextual comprehension, documentation, and opportunities for enhancement.

The research services encompass both comprehensive and expedited studies that guide clients in critical areas such as program design, advocacy, capacity building, and sector knowledge enhancement. It employs diverse research methods tailored to specific needs and contexts, including surveys, literature reviews, secondary data analysis, qualitative interviews, and case studies, among others. Notable examples of its research initiatives include studies informing the design of an employability program for individuals with disabilities, providing evidence for policy action regarding the involvement of Panchayati Raj institutions in family planning, and advancing insights into the role of gender within food fortification value chains.

Development solutions collaborates closely with program managers to establish data collection systems for ongoing program monitoring. Its expertise lies in identifying relevant indicators, crafting data collection tools, and creating effective analysis, interpretation, and reporting processes. Additionally, organizations often seek our services for independent monitoring to enhance the quality assurance of their programs. For instance, the organisation has been engaged by an international foundation to independently monitor a grantee's efforts in scaling up a state-wide program addressing low birth weight and wasting through conditional cash transfers and behaviour change communication.