Impact Research New Zealand Limited conducts high quality research and evaluation within the Aotearoa/New Zealand health, education and social service sectors that makes a positive difference for families and communities. We also offer programme and organisational reviews. Our services are provided at reasonable and accessible prices.

Research services:

We offer the following research services:

• Identify with client research problem and define research questions
• Document reviews
• Literature reviews
• Systematic reviews
• Case studies
• Action Research

We offer both quantitative and qualitative methods as well as mixed methods (a combination of both) for example:

• Surveys
• Observation / Participant Observation
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Secondary Data Analysis / Archival Study

Evaluating service provision

We offer the following five different types of evaluations:

Formative evaluation which is used to evaluates a programme/initiative during its development in order to make early improvements.
Summative evaluation which is used to provide information on the effectiveness of the programme/initiative delivery and identifies areas for improvement. This form of evaluation can help inform funding proposals.
Process evaluation which is used for determining whether the programme/initiative is being implemented as planned and areas for improvement.
Outcomes evaluation which is used for identifying the extent to which planned outcomes (e.g. skills, attitudes and behaviours) for the programme/initiative have been achieved.
Impact evaluation which is used to determine as a result of the programme/initiative activities what kind of impacts over time has it had on participants.

Exploring community development initiatives

Many local initiatives contribute to tertiary level prevention of negative social outcomes in the community. Yet these projects are developed with insufficient research and evaluation which could inform other community development projects. Impact Research aims to work with community development initiatives as they unfold, in order to capture the process and the impact on the community.

Exploring social and economic impacts on families, older people and people with disabilities

In the current economic environment, it is vital that we understand how social and economic factors impact on local populations, and on the efforts of service provision and community development to strengthen families and communities.

Other services

• Facilitation and support for organisational development
• Funding proposal development
• Policy development
• Community consultation
• Stakeholder engagement
• Data management (Dancing with Data)
• Reporting to funders

We also provide internships for research students - please contact us to discuss.

Results Based Accountability

All of us who work in social services want to know that our services are making a positive difference in the lives of our clients, and in the wider community. Funders increasingly want social service providers to be able to demonstrate the outcomes they are achieving, so that they know the funding they provide is being put to best use.

Some of our research involves introducing a Results Based Accountability framework to providers, which provides a client outcome focus. The model helps providers to identify desired outcomes and ways of measuring progress towards those outcomes, so that questions such as “How well did we do?” and “Is anyone better off?” can be answered. Learn more. Click to view RBA Article Evaluation Journal of Australasia.

Security of data

Individual client and participant anonymity and confidentiality is paramount. This means that research client reports will not identify individual participants, nor will information provided by any participant be able to be linked back to the participant. However, aggregate reports based on work with a range of clients may be shared with the sector. In these wider reports, individual client organisations will not be able to be identified, unless they have given their permission.