Does your organization aspire to do research? Going beyond routine program monitoring and evaluation, research is a systematic investigation conducted to contribute to or fill a gap in evidence or generalizable knowledge. A common reason organizations may conduct research is in the context of impact evaluation. But regardless of the motivation, research can be difficult or impossible for an organization to do on its own. To help ensure effective partnerships, use this Roles and Responsibilities Mapping Template for clarifying the roles and responsibilities not only between a research/academic partner and an implementing organization, but also between various actors within an organization who may be involved in research or evaluation.
Also see META’s tip sheet 5 Steps for Establishing Productive Research Partnerships to help build relationships with an external academic institution. Once you develop your research or evaluation partnership, META’s Research/Evaluation Time & Effort Calculator can help you budget appropriately for the staff time needed from all parties involved.
