RMT1-What Is Research Method

Research Methods
for Surveying
Technologist
SURT 3021
Prepared by:-Welu Hagos
Nov, 2015
Contents
1. What is a research, project and project
management
2. The meaning, objectives, types and significance
of research
3. The research process
4. Problem Identification
5. Research Design and Methodology
6. Data collection, Analysis and Presentation
7. Report writing
8. Ethics in research
9. TOR and the format of a research project or
essay
What is Research?
• Enquiry (gaining knowledge) using the
Scientific Method for the goals of :
1.Solving theoretical (academic) problems
2.Solving practical, social, cultural,
economical, environmental and political
problems of any typical society.
Classification (types) of Research
1. Outcome based classification
2. Type of data based
3. Method of data gathering/collection based
4. Research objective based classification
1, Outcome based classification

• Basic research: solving theoretical problems
• Applied research: solving social problems
2. Type of data based
classification
• New data: primary research
• Old data: secondary research
• Quantitative: quantitative research
• Qualitative: qualitative research
3. Method of data gathering based
• Observation : empirical
• Manipulation and observation: experimental,
participatory, action research
4. Research objective based
classification
• Description
• Explanation
• Prediction
• Control
• Comparison
1. What is a Project and
Project Management
What is a Project?
It is a unique and time urgent work effort to
provide a result according to a certain
specification and within fixed time and
Budget Limit.
• A complex effort
• Many tasks
• Specific objective
• Unique, not repetitive
• Start and end dates
• Schedule and budget
The Ethiopian Way of
conducting projects
• As fast as you can- No fixed time

• The Best you can – No Fixed specification
• As cheap as possible- No fixed budget
Prioritizing Projects
1. Decide which projects offer the greatest

potential value to your organization
2. If in doubt, seek advice from a superior or
the Project initiator
3. Create a master Schedule to outline the
resources each project requires
4. If available resources are in conflict rethink
priorities
Project Management
The Fundamental Methodology
• Anyone originates a project concept
• Obtain Clear Objectives-Management establishes objectives
• Project manager and team develop project plan
– Develop Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
– Develop an Integrated Project Plan (Finance, Time,
Specification)
• Project manager and team implement plan
• Obtain approval of the plans-Management approves plan
• Project manager and team Periodically compare actual vs Plan
• Conduct Progress Review Meeting
• Project manager and team Determine solution
• Management selects solution
• Take actions and follow up-Project manager and team implement
solution and revise plan
• Keep Management informed
Key Steps of Project Management
Establish Project Objective
1. Identify the project
2. Identify the approving authority
3. Select and appoint project Manager
4. Obtain approval of project objective
Develop Project Plan
5. Develop WBS
6. Develop schedule and Budget Plan
7. Obtain commitments
Guide Project plan
8. Provide status information
9. Conduct progress review meetings
10. Analyze variances and corrective actions
11. Critique project upon completion
The format of Project Proposal
• Project Name
• Project Objective
• Indicators
• Output
• Targets
• Justification
• Activities
• Responsible
– Management
– Manager
– Team
• Finance
• Timeframe
Project Proposal
Project should be designed in a way which is:
• Transparent and participatory, i.e. gives a clear and
comprehensive picture of the envisaged projects to all
parties concerned (e.g. superiors, target groups, potential
partners, financing agencies);
• realistic and implementable considering the existing
resources;
• logically consistent, i.e. there should be a plausible link
between allocated resources, planned activities, expected
outputs or deliverables and the objectives to which the
project is supposed to contribute; and
• sufficiently concrete to give everybody a clear picture of
what he or she can expect, where, when and by whom. Well
designed project proposals are therefore crucial for making
sure that planning will result in faster and better delivery.
Project Proposal- logical framework approach
The final document of the project proposal should follow the and provide detailed
information on the following:
1. Objective(s):
• Project objectives are supposed to describe the expected positive impact of a project. It provides
focus and orientation for a project.
• In the context of the IDP methodology the objectives are determined first before strategy
decisions are made and projects are identified. Consequently the objective of the proposed
project is already predetermined (in certain cases a project may be related to more than one
objective). But such tentative “Working Objectives” may have to be modified or refined if the
project planning process reveals that they are unrealistic or inappropriate.
2. Indicators are used to provide a more precise picture on the objective (the method of setting
indicators is described below).
• Setting Indicators and Targets
• Purpose: To provide the most precise information on what a project or programme is intended to
achieve. This can serve as a basis for transparency, accountability and for monitoring progress.
• Definitions: Indicators are, strictly speaking, measurement units which indicate as precise as
possible a certain existing or anticipated condition. Indicators therefore are useful to measure
progress, e.g. the achievement of objectives or outputs. Targets are objectives or outputs which
are specified/quantified with the help of indicators.
• An indicator to be sufficiently specific should specify
– quantity: how many? how much? how often?
– quality: standard? characteristics?
– target group: for whom?
– location: where?
– time: by when? within which period?
Project Proposal
3. Project Outputs (or Deliverables) describe what the project is supposed to
contribute or provide to others in order to achieve the objective(s).
4. Targets/Target Groups/ Locations, in other words Output Indicators, have to
be specified for each output to make sure that there is clarity for everybody
on:
– – what precisely (quality), is supposed to be provided;
– – how much of it (quantity);
– – to whom (target group);
– – where (location); and
– – by when (time).
• Proper output targets are a basis for transparency: Everybody involved
should know what he or she is expected to provide and/or to receive by
when.
5. Major Activities: Activities are the steps which have to be taken by the service
providing agencies to make sure that an output can be provided. Thus,
activities should be clearly related to each of the outputs. While the output is
a kind of final “product” to be delivered, the activities resemble back-stage
steps required to get the product delivered.
• As each service provision process can be split into an indefinite number of
small tasks, it is useful to limit oneself to a limited number of major activities
in the IDP process. These major activities can be broken down later when
annual business plans are designed on the basis of the IDP.
Project Proposal
6. Responsible agencies have to be identified for each activity in order to
make sure that there will be somebody to do the job. If there is one
agency in charge of one whole output, it is useful to name the
organizational sub-units in charge of each activity.
7. Since many activities just take place in a certain time sequence, it may be
useful to indicate the time dimension of activities on a chart. In case all
or most activities are of an ongoing nature during the 5-year planning
period of IDP, such a specification by time is not appropriate. Rather
than listing only the ongoing routine activities, however, activity
planning should put emphasis on “milestones”, i.e. on naming crucial
steps which have to be accomplished at a certain point of time.
8. Costs/Budget Estimates/Sources of Finance: Major inputs required in

terms of staff, materials, buildings, etc. separated by investment costs
and operational/maintenance costs have to be listed, quantified and
costed. Based on quantities and costs per unit budget estimates can be
calculated (differentiated by capital and recurrent expenditure).
Expected sources of finance have to be added to the budget items. In
case there is no source of finance envisaged so far, this has to be
clearly indicated.
Project Proposal
Criteria for assessing the validity of Project proposal
The following Criteria should be observed in assessing the validity of Project
proposal. Crucial questions for checking the project proposal are:
• 1. Contribution to objectives: Does the envisaged project contribute significantly

to the achievement of the agreed objective(s)?
• 2. Consistency with policy guidelines (and related strategy guidelines): Is the

project design in line with social, economic, environmental, institutional, spatial
and financial development principles with regard to target groups, gender
specification, cost-effectiveness, location, environmental quality, consideration of
local business etc.?
• 3. Realism: Is the project proposal in line with available resources? Does it reflect
major risks related to its implementation and its impact?
• 4. Logical conclusiveness: Are the outputs in total likely to be sufficient to reach
the objectives? Is each output really necessary to reach them? Are the
activities/resources sufficient to provide the related output? Is each
activity/resource item necessary to do so? Are the target figures at input, activity,
output and objective level in realistic proportion to ach other?
• 5. Exactness/Clarity: Are the objectives, outputs and activities sufficiently

specified to give everybody a clear picture of what the project looks like, what can
be expected by whom, by when and what it requires?
Possible Projects
1. Strategic investment areas plan: Planning for industry and commerce
2. Poverty Reduction Plan
3. Land use plans
4. Conservation area plan
5. Landscape Plans
6. Urban design plan
7. Infrastructure
a) Road network plan
b) Storm water drainage system
c) Sewerage system
d) Solid waste management plan
e) Transportation plan
8. Environmental aspects and open space
a) Environmental conservation plan
b) Residential open spaces
9. Urban centers plan
10. Upgrading
11. Redevelopment plan
12. Housing
etc.

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Research Methods

1, Outcome based classification

• As fast as you can- No fixed time

1. Decide which projects offer the greatest

8. Costs/Budget Estimates/Sources of Finance: Major inputs required in

• 1. Contribution to objectives: Does the envisaged project contribute significantly

• 2. Consistency with policy guidelines (and related strategy guidelines): Is the

• 5. Exactness/Clarity: Are the objectives, outputs and activities sufficiently

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