Decisions are only as good as the evidence behind them.
PRASOL designs and delivers applied research that answers the questions boards, managers and funders actually ask. We combine rigorous methods with deep field experience across Kenya and the Horn of Africa, so that your organization can plan, invest and report with confidence.
Request a research scoping call Take the free evidence-readiness checkMost organizations do not lack data. They lack decision-ready evidence.
Funders now expect results backed by credible evidence. Programmes are still designed on assumptions that were never tested. Reports are filed but rarely used. Data collected without a clear question costs money and changes nothing.
Useful research starts from the decision it must inform, uses methods matched to the context, and ends with findings that leaders can act on.
Civil society organizations
Baselines, evaluations and learning studies that meet donor standards and strengthen the case for continued funding.
Corporates and foundations
Market, customer and social impact evidence for product, investment, CSR and ESG decisions.
Public institutions
Policy, service-delivery and citizen-feedback studies that inform county and national planning and Performance Contracts.
From question to decision
The PRASOL Evidence-to-Action Cycle runs in five steps. Each step has a clear owner and a defined output.
Frame
Agree with the client the decision the research must inform, the key questions and the success criteria.
Design
Select methods, sampling and tools matched to the questions, budget and context, and secure ethical and research approvals where required.
Collect
Gather data through trained enumerators and digital platforms, with real-time quality checks and conflict- and gender-sensitive practice.
Analyse
Triangulate quantitative and qualitative evidence and validate emerging findings with stakeholders.
Use
Deliver concise reports, policy briefs and dashboards with actionable recommendations, and support the management response.
Each study adds to the organization's evidence base. Findings feed the next planning cycle, programme design or funding proposal.
Research across five evidence domains
We help you build the evidence you need at every stage, from design to results.
Programme performance and accountability
Baseline, mid-term and final evaluations, impact assessments, third-party monitoring and beneficiary verification.
Markets and value chains
Market surveys, feasibility studies, product surveys, and value chain and market systems analysis.
Communities and behaviour
Needs assessments, Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) surveys, and perception and client satisfaction surveys.
Context and risk
Conflict analysis, climate and disaster risk assessments, political economy analysis and stakeholder mapping.
Policy and institutions
Policy research, institutional and capacity assessments, case studies and learning papers.
Services that match where you are
Start with a clear question, generate credible evidence, then put the findings to work. We handle the entire research lifecycle, ensuring your data is ethical, accurate, and actionable.
Research scoping and design review
Sharpens the research questions, reviews existing evidence and recommends the most cost-effective design.
Baseline and needs assessments
Establishes the starting point for indicators and targets, and identifies priority needs for programme design.
Market, feasibility and value chain studies
Tests demand, viability and market linkages before you invest or scale.
KAP, perception and client satisfaction surveys
Measures what people know, believe and do, and how they rate your services.
Evaluations and impact assessments
Mid-term, final and impact evaluations against OECD-DAC criteria, with practical recommendations.
Context, conflict and climate risk assessments
Analyses conflict drivers, climate and disaster risks, and their implications for programming.
Third-party monitoring and verification
Independent verification of activities, beneficiaries and results, including in hard-to-reach areas.
Case studies and learning papers
Documents what worked, what did not and why, in formats that practitioners and funders will read.
Research methods training
A practical five-day course in academic, applied and participatory research methods for PhD, Masters and undergraduate students, and practitioners. View the course outline
Who we work with
Civil society
NGOs, faith-based organizations, community-based organizations and networks that need credible evidence for programme design, accountability and funding.
Corporates and foundations
Companies and corporate foundations that need market intelligence, customer insight and measurable social impact.
Public institutions
National and county governments, state corporations and public training institutions that need evidence for policy, planning and service delivery.
Development partners
Multilateral, bilateral and international NGO partners that need independent evaluation and third-party monitoring.
A regional gender and P/CVE programme across nine countries
A regional centre of excellence on preventing and countering violent extremism needed an independent summative evaluation of its 18-month, Sida-funded programme. The programme built gender-sensitive approaches among legislators, criminal justice officers, researchers, media practitioners, and youth and women CSOs in nine East and Horn of Africa countries. PRASOL delivered the full evaluation, from design to recommendations.
Evaluation framework
Reconstructed the programme strategy and theory of change, and built an evaluation framework on the OECD-DAC criteria, extended to gender and conflict sensitivity and set in a PESTEL analysis of the regional context.
Nine-country data collection
Interviewed 40 key informants across all nine countries, the funder and the regional secretariat, through in-person, virtual and written channels that reached respondents in conflict-affected settings while protecting their anonymity.
Results across five areas
Documented results in gender-sensitive legislation, reporting, criminal justice, counter-messaging and research, including a juvenile correctional services policy proposal and national strategy reviews that the programme catalysed.
Recommendations for the next phase
Proposed a strengthened theory of change, a results and monitoring framework, a risk matrix and targeted recommendations for the centre, civil society partners and each result area.
Selected research assignments
| Assignment | Client | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Summative Evaluation of the ICEPCVE Programme | IGAD | 7 IGAD Member States, Tanzania and Rwanda |
| External Evaluation of the UN Joint Programme on Local Governance | UN JPLG | Somalia |
| End-Term Evaluation of the Support to Electoral Processes in Kenya (SEPK) Project | UNDP Kenya | Kenya |
| Conflict and Climate Risks Assessment of the Moyale Cluster | Chemonics/USAID | Kenya–Ethiopia border |
| Market Survey in Bosaaso, Qardho, Garowe and Mogadishu | CARE International | Somalia |
| Study on Cash and Protection | Danish Refugee Council | Somalia |
| Livestock Herd Management Study | VSF-Suisse (EU funded) | Isiolo, Kenya |
| Baseline Survey on Gender and Equality | ActionAid International | Laikipia, Marsabit and Isiolo, Kenya |
Why PRASOL
Decision focus
Every study starts with the decision it must inform. We design for use, not for the shelf.
Methodological rigour
Mixed methods, sound sampling, digital data collection and systematic quality assurance from inception to final report.
Access in complex settings
Proven delivery in arid and semi-arid lands, cross-border areas, and fragile and conflict-affected contexts, including Somalia.
Regional experience
Registered in Kenya since 2005, with assignments across Kenya and the Horn of Africa for multilateral, bilateral, public, private and non-profit clients.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ensure data privacy in the field?
Can you evaluate a programme that is already running?
Do you work with county governments?
How long does a typical research assignment take?
How ready is your evidence? Find out in three minutes.
Answer ten questions to see where your evidence base stands and which study to commission next. Your answers stay in your browser.
Start with a research scoping call
Tell us the decision you need to make and the evidence you already have. We will propose a scope, methodology, timeline and fixed fee within five working days.
Request a research scoping call