What are the best ways to gather data for conflict resolution evaluations?

1 Define your evaluation purpose and questions

Before you start collecting data, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to evaluate, and why. What are the goals and objectives of your conflict resolution interventions? What are the indicators and criteria that you will use to measure their success? What are the specific questions that you want to answer with your evaluation? These questions will guide your data collection methods, sources, and tools, and help you focus on the most relevant and useful information.

3 Select your data sources and samples

Once you have decided on your data collection methods, you need to identify who or what will provide you with the data. These are your data sources and samples. You need to ensure that your data sources and samples are relevant, representative, and reliable for your evaluation purpose and questions. For example, if you want to evaluate the impact of your conflict resolution interventions on the project outcomes, you might want to include data from the project team members, the clients, and the beneficiaries. If you want to evaluate the process of your conflict resolution interventions, you might want to include data from the project coordinators, the mediators, and the participants.

4 Design your data collection tools

After you have selected your data sources and samples, you need to create or adapt the tools that you will use to collect the data. These are your data collection tools, such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, observation checklists, and document review templates. You need to ensure that your data collection tools are valid, reliable, and ethical for your evaluation purpose and questions. For example, if you want to measure the satisfaction level of your project stakeholders, you might want to use a Likert scale or a smiley face scale. If you want to explore the challenges and opportunities of your conflict resolution interventions, you might want to use open-ended questions or a SWOT analysis.

5 Implement your data collection plan

Finally, you need to execute your data collection plan, which involves applying your data collection methods, sources, and tools in a systematic and consistent way. You need to ensure that your data collection plan is feasible, efficient, and respectful for your evaluation purpose and questions. For example, if you want to conduct surveys, you might want to use online platforms or mobile devices to reach your respondents. If you want to conduct interviews, you might want to schedule them in advance and obtain informed consent from your interviewees. If you want to conduct observations, you might want to use video or audio recordings or field notes to capture your observations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?