7.4 Qualitative Studies
Qualitative methods can be used in combination with the quantitative approaches detailed above to gain depth and detail of intervention impact. However, it may also be more appropriate to focus on the use of qualitative methods where an intervention is very targeted or bespoke in nature. Qualitative methods can help to explore why an intervention has the impact that it does, and how the intervention is working, neither of which can be easily quantified. They can also be used to design the intervention activity with the customer’s input, which in turn can enhance impact further, or support more effective targeting and audience segmentation. Additionally, qualitative methods can be used to explore the links between outcomes in the logic model to better understand the impact of the intervention activity. In some cases it is possible to use qualitative study designs longitudinally, but any trends over time cannot be assumed from qualitative exploration.
It is likely that the most useful methods for collecting qualitative data would be through the use of interviews and focus groups. Depending on how specific the information required is, either a structured, semi-structured, or unstructured approach can be taken. In practice this means different levels of specificity in the questions being prepared before the data is collected. In a structured interview/focus group the researcher will have very clear questions to ask the participant and will try to cover all of the pre-defined questions. As the structure becomes more flexible, the researcher will allow the participant to guide the discussion more, and will use a topic guide to keep the conversation on track, but will respond to interesting or useful insight offered by the participant to generate further questions. The less structured approaches require a more skilled researcher to effectively facilitate the data collection.
Other techniques that can be employed to collect qualitative information in a more interactive session include the Delphi technique and World Cafés. These are more informal methods that gather information through facilitated group conversations. In a Delphi session participants respond to a survey before attending a discussion event to follow-up on survey responses. In a World Café, participants are seated at tables in groups of 4-6 and each table discusses a specific topic with paper tablecloths designed to be written on so that no one misses the opportunity to offer feedback. They can be especially helpful in gathering evaluative feedback that would support the design of intervention activity since participants can be creative in giving feedback and bounce ideas off of one another.
An additional method that can be employed for more complex or bespoke intervention activities is observation or case study. This could be carried out by working one-to-one with the recipients of the intervention and observing changes in their behaviour or response to the intervention content, and keeping a record of their progress through the intervention, which may then be written up as a single case example of intervention impact. This rates as a very low quality form of evaluation because the findings cannot be applied far beyond that single case. However, for a bespoke intervention this may be the most appropriate method since the intervention will be tailored to that individual and so we may only be interested in the impact it has in that one case.
Example: Fire setters programme
The fire setters programme is an example of a complex intervention that is, wherever possible, tailored to the needs of the young person who has been identified as having an unsafe interest in fire or fire setting. With this in mind, the most appropriate evaluation method is qualitative. This will enable KFRS to explore the details of the programme and which elements are impacting the recipients’ attitudes and behaviours. It may even be most suitable to utilise a case study approach for those recipients who require a more in-depth and tailored programme of intervention.