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Community-Based Research Initiative
Mixed-methods research that let the community define the questions — not just answer them.
Challenge, approach, and outcome at a glance
Quantitative data showed a clear service gap, but leadership had no reliable account of why it existed.
A mixed-methods design with trained community researchers leading data collection from within the community itself.
120+ community participants engaged, with findings adopted directly into program redesign.
The numbers said there was a gap. They couldn't say why.
Program-level data showed a persistent utilization gap in a specific community — lower engagement than comparable areas, with no obvious demographic explanation. Prior attempts to investigate had relied on outside researchers running standard surveys, which produced thin, surface-level results and did little to build trust. Leadership needed an explanation grounded in the community's own account of its barriers — and needed it in a form rigorous enough to justify a program redesign to funders and the board.
Research done with the community, not on it.
The design paired trained community researchers with a structured mixed-methods protocol, so the people closest to the problem were the ones asking the questions.
Design the Mixed-Methods Protocol
Combined a structured quantitative survey with semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups, built to surface both scale and root cause.
Recruit and Train Community Researchers
Identified and trained community members as co-researchers, giving the effort local credibility and access that outside teams couldn't replicate.
Navigate IRB and Ethical Review
Managed the full ethics review process, ensuring consent, confidentiality, and data handling met institutional research standards.
Facilitate Focus Groups and Interviews
Ran structured sessions designed to surface barriers in participants' own words, with community researchers leading facilitation.
Synthesize Findings into Program Recommendations
Ran cross-team synthesis workshops translating raw qualitative and quantitative data into a concrete set of program redesign recommendations.
Findings the community trusted — and leadership acted on.
The research didn't just describe the gap. It gave the organization a defensible, community-grounded case for changing how the program operated.
“This is the first time research about our community actually felt like it came from our community. People talked to us because they trusted who was asking.”Community Researcher, Initiative Participant
What this project reinforced
Proximity is a research method.
Community researchers didn't just collect better data — their presence changed who was willing to participate at all.
Rigor and trust aren't a trade-off.
A structured, IRB-reviewed protocol produced findings the board could act on, without sacrificing the qualitative depth that made them credible.
Ready to lead your next initiative?
Let's discuss how strategic program leadership can help your organization deliver measurable results — on scope, on time, and aligned to the people it serves.