Social and Economic Research

Study household and individual conditions, work, income, expenditure, services, housing, education, health, livelihoods, and inequality.

• Establish a baseline or describe social and economic conditions.
• Estimate needs and gaps among groups.
• Understand effects of prices, unemployment, displacement, or service change.
• Study livelihoods, capabilities, and constraints.
• Support policy, program, or service design.

• Household, individual, and establishment surveys.
• In-depth interviews and focus groups.
• Administrative or secondary-data analysis.
• Expenditure, time-use, labor, and livelihood studies.
• Service and access mapping.
• Gender, age, disability, and other relevant group analysis.

• Household, community, or establishment samples.
• Cross-sectional, longitudinal, or before-and-after designs.
• Composite indicators with explicit definition and testing.
• Integration of quantitative, qualitative, and administrative data.
• Distributional analysis beyond averages.

The study population, unit of analysis, and access frame are defined before implementation. Sampling is selected according to purpose, inference needs, resources, and risk. “Representative” is used only where the design supports it, and exclusions, nonresponse, and adjustments are documented.

• Review the question and instrument before fieldwork.
• Pilot or pretest where the assignment permits.
• Train researchers and standardize instructions.
• Monitor completion and apply consistency, duration, and location checks where appropriate.
• Use clear consent, voluntary participation, and harm minimization.
• Separate identifying information and restrict access.
• Document deviations, problems, and corrective action.

• Baseline or diagnostic study.
• Social and economic indicator profile.
• Group and area analysis.
• Service maps or access pathways.
• Design, targeting, or monitoring recommendations.

• Income and expenditure are sensitive and may be affected by recall or nonresponse.
• Association is not causation unless the design supports it.
• Averages may conceal substantial inequality.
• Nominal and real values, periods, and price bases are stated.

Work begins with the question, intended audience, decision to be supported, relevant areas and groups, schedule, and budget. The Center then proposes a feasible scope, methodology, and deliverables.

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