Ideas In Action - Core Capabilities

Our company’s primary core capability is to implement field research activities in Tanzania in collaboration with our clients. Specifically, we have expertise in the following areas:

• - Adapt research proposals to local content

• - Process research permits & ethical approval documents

• - Recruit and train enumerators

• - Develop or adopt data collection tools

• - Implement research

• - Manage research data

• - Perform data analysis and write reports

Research Permit & Ethical Approval applications

Our company is positioned to help international organizations, who wish to conduct research activities in Tanzania, in the process of applying and obtaining research permits. More importantly, our company understands the importance of obtaining research permits and ethical approval to conduct research. Our team is prepared to work with our clients to ensure that application materials for ethical approval applications are well prepared and submitted to the designated government office(s). Our team will also prepare consent forms, in both English and Swahili, and ensure that official letters required to introduce field enumerators are obtained through appropriate channels.

Research Field Team Recruitment and Training

Our company closely reviews any and all projects proposed by a client, in order to assign a qualified core member(s) with similar experience to oversee the project. Using our existing network developed through our previous research activities, iAct has a large pool of experienced enumerators from which we can draw for a specific project. Our team ensures that recruited enumerators are provided with required training to use data collections tools and to carry out the project in the field.

Data Collection Tools Development

Our company can adapt or develop paper or electronic based data collection tools required by the client to undertake research activities. Our team can adapt existing tools into local content and translate them into local language.

Research Implementation

We work hand in hand with our client to implement research activities in a timely, ethical, and safe manner that complies with all applicable laws in Tanzania and from the client side. Our implementation strategy includes a small pilot study to test and validate tools followed by the actual field implementation. Throughout implementation we closely monitor finances to make sure the project is implemented according to the budget. We also dispatch fieldwork materials (e.g. data collections tools, informed consent forms, etc) in a safe and secure manner. We pride ourselves on our flexibility to field dynamic changes while not compromising the quality of our work. The entire research implementation phase is surrounded by quality control initiatives through routine evaluation and verification of each major step. We also employ technologies to help streamline our processes. This includes digital data collection, the use of mobile communication, and geo referencing our study sites where applicable.

Data Management

Our company offers data management services as desired by the client, such as custom design and private data hosting service (i.e. ODK and virtual private servers), routine data cleaning, and quality control.

Data Analysis and Reports

Our team has experience in performing data analysis and providing project progress reports during research implementation. We work with the client to ensure that any data analysis and the report(s) required are performed and shared with the client.