Our methods
Premium quality and excellent methodological expertise
We place great importance on the sound methodological skills of our employees, as we are committed to maintaining the first-class quality of our research and consulting work.
They possess extensive knowledge of both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The collection and evaluation methods used are precisely tailored to the task at hand. These are then combined to meet the specific research and consulting objectives.
Data collection
Document collection
We are aware that a significant amount of information pertinent to our research and consultancy projects is already accessible to clients and other relevant authorities. This is often because the information serves a practical purpose, for instance in documentation or for internal or external communication. These documents include, among many others, organisational plans and strategies, reports, protocols and meeting notes, as well as milestone plans, job descriptions and personnel statistics. We collate and organise these documents in order to make the best possible use of existing knowledge and to avoid the need for redundant surveys.
Observations
We conduct observations in projects where we rely on implicit, non-verbalised knowledge, or where we need a thorough understanding of working methods to formulate precise recommendations. We systematically plan, document and prepare research observations for evaluation.
Guided interviews
We use guided interviews to gather information on a range of research areas, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate unexpected responses and focus from respondents. Our guides are based on theoretical considerations and can be flexibly adapted during the interview process. The use of guides ensures that all areas relevant to the survey are covered in the interview and that comparisons can be made between interviews.
Expert interviews
We regularly conduct expert interviews with individuals from administrative and academic backgrounds to bring their expertise to our research and consultancy projects. In our experience, administrative experts are individuals who, through their work context, have an insight into the structures and processes relevant to the project in question. When interviewing experts, we aim to gain a realistic and practical understanding of the specific administrative context.
Focus groups
Focus groups consist of a group of approximately six to twelve people engaged in a facilitated group discussion. We present a topic to the group and facilitate discussion with the aim of gaining insight into as many aspects of the topic as possible from the different perspectives of the participants. We find focus groups particularly valuable as they allow us to gain insight into a topic from multiple perspectives and to generate new ideas through discussion.
Standardised surveys
We utilise standardised surveys as a key tool in our methodology, employing them on a regular basis. We create bespoke questionnaires aligned with the specific knowledge and interest areas of our research projects, taking into account theoretical and methodological considerations. The uniform questionnaire, which is presented to each individual in the same format and manner, ensures that the responses of a large number of individuals can be recorded and compared.
Workshops/Pilot studies/Simulations/Field tests
In order to test reform projects or structural changes in advance, we utilise a variety of workshop formats, pilot studies, simulations, and field tests. Based on theoretical and methodological considerations, we develop survey concepts that are tailored to the respective formats. We provide ongoing support to participants, document the outcomes, and facilitate their preparation for evaluation.
Data analysis
Qualitative content analysis
We evaluate data from texts and interviews using qualitative content analysis methods in order to gain insight into the content and context of the data. Categorisation is a fundamental aspect of our process, whereby we assign recurring themes or ideas with a label and associate them with corresponding text passages. By applying the categories, we are able to identify the text passages that are most useful for answering our respective question.
Quantitative text analysis
If we are interested in the frequency of certain terms and their relation to each other in texts, we utilise quantitative text analysis methods. The text corpus is analysed using dedicated software. It is possible to count the frequency of terms, to characterise texts based on the words most frequently occurring in them, or to analyse the most frequently co-occurring terms.
Descriptive statistics
We analyse data from our standardised surveys and secondary data (e.g. official statistics from the Federal Statistical Offices and the States) using statistical software to assess relevant properties. Descriptive statistics provide a comprehensive summary of data, presented in a visual format with measures of location and dispersion. This provides insight into the characteristics and their distribution (e.g. frequencies of cases to be processed, personnel involved in individual case analysis, etc.).
Inferential statistics
We analyse data from our standardised surveys and secondary data using inferential statistical methods to identify statistically significant and relevant relationships. By employing regression analysis and structural equation models, we are able to identify the key influencing factors and provide an explanatory framework for the phenomena under investigation.
Process analysis
We conduct process analyses to identify potential improvements in administrative processes. For our clients, we gain an overview of the initial situation and trace decision-making and action routines in organisations, making them accessible to improvement.
Network analysis
To understand patterns in the cooperation or communication of employees, authorities, and other institutions, we use network analyses. Here, specialised standardised surveys are evaluated using software, and network structures of information senders and receivers are identified or actors are shown that are particularly central for their network because many information flows emanate from them.
Contact person
