The standard project process

Typical project phases

1. Clarify the decision and write the research objectives.
2. Choose the approach, sample, and timeline.
3. Design the instrument or discussion guide.
4. Program, field, and monitor quality.
5. Clean, structure, and label the data.
6. Analyze the results against the original objectives.
7. Build a clear report with recommendations.

Where projects usually go wrong

• Objectives are too broad
• Stakeholders want multiple incompatible outputs from one study
• Data cleaning is left too late
• Analysis answers interesting questions rather than decision questions