Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches in Program Evaluation

This chapter outlines some of the ways and means by which integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches in development research and program evaluation can help yield insights that neither approach would produce on its own. In assessing the impact of development programs and policies, it is important to recognize that the quantitative methods emphasized in this tool kit, while enormously useful, nonetheless have some important limitations and that some of these can be overcome by incorporating complementary qualitative approaches. An examination of the strengths and weakness of orthodox stand-alone quantitative (and qualitative) approaches is followed by a basic framework for integrating different approaches, based on distinguishing between data and the methods used to collect them. Some practical examples of “mixedmethod” approaches to program evaluation are then given, and some conclusions drawn.