House 22, Street 17 Karte 3, Kabul, Afghanistan [email protected] / [email protected]
Our Network KuickBok Desktop Hosting with TSplus Afghanistan Tax Calculator Microsoft Office 365 Partner Google Workspace Partner MoCI License No. I-11011
Home / Services / Research, Assessment & Evaluation
Practice Area 09 OECD-DAC Evaluation Criteria 34 Provinces Enumeration Reach

Research, Assessment & Evaluation

Generating objective, verifiable data and actionable insights across the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Specializing in baseline, midline, and endline program evaluations, socio-economic impact studies, and market surveys utilizing digital mobile collection (Kobo/ODK), econometric modeling in SPSS/STATA, and rigorous OECD-DAC evaluation criteria.

34 Provinces
Nationwide Field Coverage
50,000+
Surveys & Interviews Executed
Kobo & ODK
GPS & Audio-Audited Mobile Tools
OECD-DAC
Standard Evaluation Protocols
Empirical Rigor

Truth-Seeking Research in a Dynamic Operating Environment

Evidence-based decision-making in Afghanistan requires navigating volatile local conditions, security constraints, and cultural sensitivities. Development agencies, commercial enterprises, and policymakers cannot afford to rely on outdated estimates or superficial assessments.

Oriental Consultants operates a permanent network of trained, bilingual (Dari and Pashto) male and female field researchers across all 34 Afghan provinces. We apply mixed-methods research designs—triangulating large-scale household surveys with Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and secondary literature reviews to deliver unassailable evidence.

Ethical Research Mandate: All research protocols adhere to international ethical standards: voluntary informed consent, complete respondent anonymity, data encryption under GDPR principles, and culturally sensitive community entry.

Core Methodological Advantages

  • 1
    Statistically Sound Sampling: Probability-proportional-to-size (PPS) multi-stage cluster sampling, ensuring statistical representation at 95% confidence intervals with a 5% margin of error.
  • 2
    Digital Mobile Data Collection: 100% paperless data collection via KoboToolbox and ODK with mandatory GPS geostamping, timestamp tracking, and logic validation constraints.
  • 3
    Dedicated Female Field Teams: Deploying qualified female national enumerators to interview women respondents in culturally restricted rural communities safely and respectfully.
  • 4
    Econometric & Thematic Analytics: Advanced statistical regression and difference-in-differences (DiD) modeling in SPSS/STATA, complemented by qualitative thematic coding in NVivo.
Study Types

Our Specialized Assessment & Evaluation Services

Rigorous evaluations designed to meet the strict reporting standards of USAID, World Bank, UN, and bilateral donor agencies.

Research Category 01

Baseline, Midline & Endline Evaluations

Measuring program performance across the lifecycle using OECD-DAC criteria (Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, and Sustainability). We establish benchmark values, assess mid-course progress, and quantify final impact attribution.

  • ✓ Difference-in-Differences (DiD) and quasi-experimental designs
  • ✓ Indicator Tracking Table (ITT) benchmark and target verification
  • ✓ Longitudinal cohort tracking and counterfactual analysis
  • ✓ Actionable recommendations for future program iterations
Research Category 02

Socio-Economic & Household Impact Surveys

Comprehensive assessments of household income, poverty levels, food security, coping mechanisms, and access to basic services (potable water, health, education) across rural, urban, and displaced (IDP) Afghan populations.

  • ✓ Multi-dimensional poverty index (MPI) calculations
  • ✓ Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and coping index
  • ✓ IDP and returnee vulnerability mapping
  • ✓ Household expenditure and debt profile analytics
Research Category 03

Labor Market & Value Chain Assessments

Rigorous economic research identifying growth bottlenecks, high-demand skills, private sector employment trends, and agricultural value chain margins (from farmer gate to national and regional export markets).

  • ✓ Private sector employer hiring surveys and wage rate studies
  • ✓ Agricultural commodity price spread and margin analysis
  • ✓ Micro and SME supply chain vulnerability mapping
  • ✓ Import-substitution potential in Afghan manufacturing
Research Category 04

Thematic Governance & Policy Studies

Deep-dive qualitative and analytical studies on community governance mechanisms, customary justice systems (Jirgas/Shuras), natural resource management (water rights), and institutional service delivery across Afghanistan.

  • ✓ Local governance and dispute resolution dynamics
  • ✓ Customary water rights and irrigation community management
  • ✓ Institutional capacity assessments of provincial line directorates
  • ✓ Policy briefs formulated for international development directors
Research Protocol

The 6-Step Empirical Research Lifecycle

How Oriental Consultants guarantees methodological integrity from tool design to final data visualization.

Step Phase Name Activities & Quality Controls Key Deliverables
Step 1 Research Design & Sampling Formulating research questions, calculating sample size (Cochran's formula), defining cluster stratification, and drafting the Inception Report. Inception Report, Sampling Framework, Ethical Protocol.
Step 2 Tool Design & Digitization Drafting questionnaires in English, translating into Dari and Pashto, back-translating, and coding into KoboToolbox / ODK with skip logic. Bilingual Questionnaires, Kobo XLSForms, KII/FGD Guides.
Step 3 Enumerator Training & Pilot 3-day intensive training of local male and female enumerators, conducting real-world field pilot testing, and refining question phrasing. Enumerator Training Manual, Field Pilot Feedback Report.
Step 4 Field Deployment & Live QA Data collection across 34 provinces. Live daily synchronization to secure cloud server; 5% supervisor back-checking; daily logic audits. Daily Progress Dashboards, Quality Assurance Logs.
Step 5 Data Cleaning & Analysis Data cleaning in Python/R, syntax-documented transformations, statistical modeling in SPSS/STATA, and qualitative coding in NVivo. Cleaned & Anonymized Datasets (SPSS/CSV), Codebook.
Step 6 Reporting & Validation Drafting comprehensive analytical report, infographic summary sheets, executive policy briefs, and hosting stakeholder validation workshops. Final Certified Evaluation Report, Executive Summary Deck.
Methodology Insights

Frequently Asked Questions (Research FAQ)

How Oriental Consultants ensures data accuracy, gender inclusion, and security during field research.

How do you conduct surveys with female respondents in rural Afghanistan?

We recruit and deploy qualified female enumerator teams from the local provincial communities. Where necessary, female enumerators are accompanied by appropriate family chaperones (Mahrams) in accordance with local customs, ensuring total community buy-in and safe, direct access to female household heads and beneficiaries.

What data quality controls are embedded in your mobile data collection tools?

Our KoboToolbox and ODK forms include mandatory GPS coordinate geocoding, survey start/end timestamps to detect rushed interviews, audio recording of key questions for spot-checking, and strict logic constraints (preventing invalid numbers, negative ages, or contradictory entries). Additionally, our field supervisors conduct 5% random in-person re-interviews.

In what formats are research datasets delivered to clients?

We deliver fully labeled, cleaned, and anonymized datasets in SPSS (.sav), STATA (.dta), Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), and CSV formats, complete with a comprehensive data dictionary, variable codebook, and reproducible analysis syntax files.

Commission Grounded, Empirical Research Today

Discuss your baseline survey, evaluation scope, or provincial assessment requirements with our senior research methodologists.

Commission Research Study Explore Third-Party Monitoring (TPM)