Research and Evaluation in International Development

Ever wondered how organisations like the United Nations, the World Bank, UNICEF, or the UK government design and evaluate international development programmes? How qualitative research helps improve security for Somali women, or how surveys contribute to combating child marriage in Bangladesh? This new course explores how research is used in the international development sector, which the OECD estimated at 175 billion dollars globally in 2025. If you are looking for social purpose and unique methodological challenges, this course is for you.

The course introduces the core concepts, frameworks, and methods used to design and evaluate development programmes, including Theories of Change, Results Frameworks, indicators, and impact evaluation. You will explore how focus groups and surveys can be adapted for development programmes and discover new approaches unique to the sector. We will reveal how research can help promote access to vaccination, family planning, security and justice, and combat child marriage, human trafficking, and violence against women.

Guest Presentation: ORB International. The course includes a guest presentation from ORB International, a specialist research agency with extensive experience of conducting surveys and qualitative research in challenging international contexts. Drawing on three real-world case studies, the session explores the practical, ethical and methodological complexities of conducting research in sensitive, insecure and hard-to-reach settings. From exploring sexual and reproductive healthcare experiences, to designing vaccination coverage surveys amid conflict and displacement, and conducting research in a highly restricted displacement camp, the case studies highlight the importance of culturally sensitive approaches, innovative sampling methods, local expertise and effective stakeholder engagement.

• Understand how the international development sector differs from the commercial world in its considerations of ethics, power dynamics and sustainability;
• Learn how Theories of Change are used to design, monitor and evaluate projects;
• Explore how qualitative and quantitative methods can be adapted to the International Development context;
• Learn how to develop a Results Framework, including indicators for Outputs, Outcomes and Impacts;
• Identify approaches to measuring impact, including qualitative approaches such as contribution analysis, and quantitative approaches such as baseline surveys;
• Apply your research skills in this exciting sector to promote positive social change.

Who Will Benefit

This course introduces the sector and its methods. No prior experience in international development is required. The course is for market and social researchers who are interested in understanding how research and evaluation are used in international development programmes.

It will be particularly valuable for researchers who are considering moving into the sector, working with international NGOs or donor-funded programmes.

Learning Method

A combination of presentation, case studies, practical exercises and group work.

Course Delivery Mode

Online

Trainer Biography

Dr Philly Desai is an international development consultant specialising in behaviour change, social norms, and research and evaluation. He has worked across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East on programmes addressing violence against women, child marriage, family planning, vaccination, policing and security, unsafe migration, and human trafficking.

Philly has designed and implemented research projects for governments, NGOs, and international agencies. He has written guidance on measuring social norm change for the UK Government (FCDO), the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and Plan International. He holds a Masters degree in South Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies and a PhD in Sociology from Goldsmiths, University of London.

Katie Banks, Research Manager, ORB International. Katie specialises in public health, international development and social research across diverse geographical and cultural contexts. She uses qualitative and quantitative methods to explore attitudes, behaviours and lived experiences, generating actionable insights for development programmes and policymakers. She has a particular interest in designing and delivering high-quality, inclusive research in complex and hard-to-reach settings, navigating the cultural, methodological and practical challenges of international fieldwork.

Ben Wells, Associate Director, ORB International. Ben leads ORB's Global Health Unit and has seven years of experience managing complex quantitative and qualitative research in challenging environments. His expertise spans research design, innovative sampling, fieldwork management, analysis and reporting, with a focus on public health, international development and governance. He has delivered research for organisations including UNICEF, Gavi, GiveWell, the Gates Foundation and a variety of government clients, combining methodological rigour with practical, context-sensitive approaches to generating actionable evidence for policy and programming.

Harassment and Safeguarding Policy

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