Population Council Research that makes a difference

Applying social science expertise to designing and implementing policies and programs

The Population Council’s social science researchers are experts in population policy and reform, demography, economics, survey methodology and design, statistics, and sociology. We design, test, and evaluate programs—often in collaboration with private health networks, governments, and nongovernmental organizations in developing countries. We provide technical support, inform decisionmakers about effective policies, and assist governments in implementing national programs.

Council researchers have created methodologies to facilitate research, policy development, and program improvement. Staff members have also redesigned tools to allow existing instruments to have new applications in the population and reproductive health fields. Examples include:

• Data Collection Technologies
  Technical specialists and researchers at the Population Council have worked for a decade developing technologies that increase the accuracy and speed of data collection while reducing errors and cost.
  
• ACASI
  Audio computer-assisted self-interviewing is an innovative technology that provides increased privacy and standardization in interviews. The Council has developed its own software to make use of this technology.

• Facts About Adolescents from the Demographic and Health Survey: Statistical Tables for Program Planning

  Council researchers have analyzed Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data in a way that clearly illustrates the diversity of adolescents' lives. These analyses are used to improve understanding about the adolescent years and to design interventions.

• HIV Testing, Treatment and Prevention: Generic Tools for Operational Research

  This toolkit serves as a basis for formulating research questions and designing an operational research project to address HIV treatment and prevention. Data collection instruments are included.

• HIV/AIDS Operations Research Toolkit

  This toolkit provides tools and information for designing HIV-related operations research (OR) studies, from developing research protocols to analyzing and reporting results.

• Operations Research

  Operations research (OR) identifies service-delivery problems and tests new programmatic solutions. Data gathered provide program managers and policy decisionmakers with the information they need to improve and expand existing services. The Council's OR work includes testing and evaluating innovative ways to deliver family planning and reproductive health services in developing countries.

• Situation Analysis
  Situation Analysis is a methodology developed by Council researchers to pinpoint problems in family planning service delivery.