Evaluation and impact measurement

AKF carries out evaluations in all fields which the institute is engaged in. The evaluations are surveys of the effects of and processes in public efforts. They are used as a basis for political decision-making and professional practice.

Impact measurement is a special form of evaluation, where statistical or econometric methods are used. The methods used in evaluations do not differ from social science methods in general. Therefore, we also use qualitative methods like for instance interviews, fieldwork, observations and document studies.

Impact measurement using statistical methods

Typically, statistical or econometric methods are used for the evaluation of effects of public measures when a large amount of quantitative data is available, e.g. register data and questionnaire data. An advantage of statistical or econometric methods is that it is possible in the analysis to take into account a series of other important issues. It is therefore possible to a large extent to "isolate" the connection you are interested in analysing. Using more advanced methods, and when observations of the same individuals exist for many years it is also possible to take into account the importance of unobserved factors.

Evaluation using qualitative methods

Qualitative methods are generally understood as data collected and interpreted in ways allowing the results to be presented in a non-numerical form. AKF has, among other things, evaluated energy-saving activities, social-security offices and efforts towards the homeless, the mentally ill and abusers using qualitative methods. 

Qualitative methods are especially suitable when the problems are about the understanding of people's attitudes and actions and when uncovering complex courses of action over time. Qualitative methods are often suitable for pointing out context dependent behaviour and for throwing light on complex mechanisms in causal processes. The qualitative methods could be necessary in order to uncover use of concepts and forms of action in connections unknown to the researcher.