Policy Analisys and Effective Development

1. About the book and authors
Raymond J. Struyk is
an international
development
economist
Kristin Morse is an
independent policy analyst
with extensive on-the-
ground experience in
Eastern Europe

2. Chapter 4: Data Collection and Analysis
HIGHER SCHOOL OF
ECONOMICS
N A T I O N A L R E S E A R C H U N I V E R S I T Y

3. Ways of data collection:
- Informal conversations
- Official government statistics and reports
- Policy memoranda from institutes or universities
- Information from the media
- Other sources

4. Reading Data for Meaning
The major problem with data presented in tables
is that too many managers fail to even look at
them
For routine policymaking
and monitoring, most data
are presented and
analyzed in a very
straightforward way,
requiring no special
knowledge of statistics

5. Data Collection
Important!
Too much data can be
distracting, or worse,
can lead to the data
being completely
ignored

6. Data collection
1. Identify Existing Data Sources
2.Identify Additional Data Needs and Their Sources
Potential sources for additional data include:
- Program staff and staff of other programs, agencies, etc.
- Program beneficiaries (when programs have specific
beneficiaries)
- Universities or think tanks, which often produce reports
or articles on current topics
- The general public (when programs do not have specific
beneficiaries)

7. Data collection
• 3. Determine Methods for Obtaining New Data
Quantitative Qualitative
Sampling
Administrative records
Surveys and Questionnaires
Focus Groups

8. Data collection
Factors to consider in
determining which
data collection
methods to use
Cost Amount of
training required
Completion time
Expected
response rate
(Perceived)
objectivity

9. Typical Problems with Data
1. Missing of Incomplete Data
2. Data Available Only in an Overly Aggregated Form
3. Unknown, Different, or Changing Definition of Data
Elements
4. Data That Are Linked Across Time and Clients

10. - Outliers
- Range Checks
- Missing Data
- Logic Checks
- Confusion over Definitions
Data Checks for Reasonableness
Several simple tests can be performed to check the broad
accuracy of data