Policy and strategy advisory
Evidence-informed advice on programme design, targeting, sector strategies and the use of research in government and partner decision-making.
What we do · 04
Support that leaves institutions stronger.
ASER advises on policy and programme design, and trains research, MEL and field teams so skills stay with the organisation — not only with the consultant.
Advisory & Capacity Strengthening
How we work in this area.
Advisory work at ASER is technical and practical. We sit with ministries, NGOs and programme units to sharpen strategies, repair broken evidence systems, and design tools that staff can keep using.
Capacity strengthening is not a one-off workshop. We combine training with co-production: staff help design questionnaires, analysis plans and quality-assurance steps so the method is understood from the inside.
This line of work draws on the same standards as our research and evaluation practice — ethical conduct, context-specific methods, and open communication with the people who will live with the result.
What we deliver
The assignments we take on.
Research and MEL training
Hands-on training in methods, ethics, digital collection, analysis and reporting for mid-career researchers, enumerators and MEL officers.
Organizational and system assessments
Reviews of how an institution generates, quality-assures and uses evidence — including roles, SOPs and the split between implementation and QA.
Tool, protocol and SOP development
Questionnaires, sampling notes, consent scripts, supervisor checklists and quality-assurance procedures tailored to the local setting.
Technical assistance and accompaniment
Embedded or on-call support during a study or evaluation cycle, so teams are not left alone at the hardest steps.
Facilitation of design and learning workshops
Structured sessions that help partners agree questions, interpret findings and turn recommendations into a realistic workplan.
Approach
A clear sequence, adapted to the assignment.
01
Diagnose
Understand the institution’s mandate, current evidence practice, and where capacity or incentives are blocking quality.
02
Co-design
Build the advisory plan, training curriculum or system changes with the people who will implement them.
03
Strengthen
Train, rewrite protocols, and practise on live or realistic tasks rather than slides alone.
04
Accompany
Stay available through the first application of the new method, with feedback that is specific and usable.
05
Transfer
Leave documentation, trained counterparts and a clear split of roles so the work does not depend on ASER indefinitely.
Who this is for
- Ministries and public institutions
- NGO MEL and programme leadership
- Research teams building internal capacity
- Partners commissioning a mix of study and training
