Generating credible evidence of social impact using the Qualitative Impact Protocol (QuIP): the challenge of positionality in data coding and analysis

The paper reflects on action research into the use of a qualitative impact protocol (the QuIP) to conduct commissioned evaluations of the social impact of development interventions in complex contexts. Unusually, the QuIP unbundles the tasks of data collection and analysis. This can enhance the transparency and auditability of the evaluative process, and hence its credibility to users, but also accentuates the importance of reflection on the analyst’s positionality. With sufficient safeguards, we argue that the approach opens up new opportunities for generating qualitative evidence to influence development practice. The
paper first describes the QuIP and its approach to coding and analysis. It then reflects on the challenges analysts face, emphasising that positionality relates not only to their personal characteristics but also to how their role is structured in relation to that of other stakeholders.