The qualitative impact protocol case book

The Qualitative Impact Protocol (QuIP) is a methodology developed at the Centre for Development Studies, University of Bath in response to a DFID research call to better address the ‘attribution problem’ so often encountered when evaluating development interventions. The approach aims to find out directly from intended beneficiaries, service users and citizens what they perceive to be the most significant drivers of change in their lives, livelihoods and wellbeing – without use of a control group. This is particularly useful in complex contexts where a variety of factors may influence the outcomes of an intervention, and where you are seeking unbiased and unprompted feedback in a structured and replicable way.

The Centre for Development Studies and Bath SDR have authored a book with Practical Action Publishing presenting the experiences of designing and executing eight different QuIP studies, from the perspective of both the independent evaluators and the commissioners. Attributing Development Impact is based on studies undertaken by Bath SDR in the first two years following its launch as a social enterprise and illustrate the potential flexibility of the QuIP and its continued evolution as we learned from each project. The book contains detailed methodological reflections and guidelines on the approach.

The book by James Copestake, Marlies Morsink, Fiona Remnan is available in hard copy, but also as a free download by clicking on download here: https://practicalactionpublishing.com/book/105/attributing-development-impact

Links to individual chapters are available in the e-book, including the QuIP Guidelines and comparing the QuIP with other approaches to development impact evaluation.

The book, like the QuIP, is rooted in empirics and practice and presents a fresh way to approach the ‘attribution challenge’.

Substantiating cause and effect is one of the great conundrums for those aiming to have a social impact, be they an NGO, social impact investment fund, or multinational corporation. All face the same quandary: how do you know whether, or how, you contributed to an observed social change? A wide range of impact evaluation methodologies exist to address this need, ranging from informal feedback loops to highly elaborate surveys. But generating useful and credible information in a timely and cost-effective way remains an elusive goal, particularly for organizations working in complex, rapidly evolving and diverse contexts.

Attributing Development Impact brings together responses to this challenge using an innovative impact evaluation approach called the Qualitative Impact Protocol (QuIP). This is a transparent, flexible and relatively simple set of guidelines for collecting, analysing and sharing feedback from intended beneficiaries about significant drivers of change in their lives. Innovative features include the use of ‘blindfolded’ interviewing to mitigate pro-project bias, and the application of a flexible coding system to make analysis and reporting faster and more transparent.

The QuIP has now been used in seven countries (Ethiopia, India, Malawi, Mexico, Tanzania, Uganda and UK) with activities to promote food security, rural livelihoods, factory working conditions, medical training, community empowerment and microcredit for house improvement. This book includes comprehensive ‘how to’ QuIP guidelines and practical insights based on case studies from these countries into how to address the numerous methodological challenges thrown up by impact evaluation.

Essential reading for evaluation specialists within NGOs, governments and donor agencies; social impact investors; community development practitioners; and researchers and students interested in evaluation methodologies.