Industry overview
What is shaping government
Government departments, PSUs and public programmes need independent evidence on citizen needs, service delivery and programme outcomes, often gathered across large and diverse geographies.
- Programmes are expected to show measurable outcomes
- Citizen feedback is shaping service delivery
- Large field surveys need rigorous quality control
Client background
A health ministry, working in South Africa. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A health ministry
- Sector
- Government
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Government research, Quantitative research, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
The ministry needed to know whether a campaign improved awareness and behaviour. The campaign was expensive, and the ministry needed evidence to justify continued funding. The ministry needed evidence on whether its campaign improved awareness and behaviour.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: evaluating a public health awareness campaign.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 months.
Target audience
Scope: 4,000 adults.
Audiences we typically reach in government
Citizens and householdsProgramme beneficiariesFrontline workersLocal officialsBusinesses using public services
Geographic coverage
Coverage: South Africa. Market: South Africa.
- South Africa
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Before-and-after survey
- 3Insight
We surveyed adults before and after the campaign in several languages. Interviews were conducted in English, isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans, with samples matched before and after the campaign. Samples were matched before and after the campaign by region and age. Questions measured awareness, knowledge and reported actions such as testing or clinic visits, not just recall of the campaign.
Government researchQuantitative researchReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- The sample was designed with the client around the decision to be made, with quotas to keep key groups readable.
Data collection
- adults
- 4,000
- Data was collected with the methods listed below, managed by a dedicated project team.
Data quality & validation
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
Key findings
- Awareness increased significantly.
- Results guided the selection of channels for the next phase.
- Clinic data on testing also showed increases during the campaign period.
Before-and-after measurement showed impact.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: before-and-after measurement showed impact.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: awareness increased significantly.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The ministry extended the campaign.
- The ministry also used the results to refine messages for the next phase.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Evaluation findings with programme recommendations
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how do citizens rate a public service?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.