Quality research is in great demand within both the non-profit and private sectors in Myanmar. The Bridge provide research services covering a wide range of fields including public policy and civic engagement, corporate social responsibility, education (including education in emergencies), employment and labour rights, gender mainstreaming, legal studies, and environmental policy. Our research services include both qualitative methods (e.g. Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews) and quantitative methods such as surveys. This could include a range of data sources – from senior political officials to communities in remote regions. We provide our clients with the information to equip them with a thorough understanding of the situation ‘on the ground’ – the needs, perceptions and opinions of local communities and key stakeholders involved in issues. Along with data collection and analysis, we also develop recommendations tailored to the needs of our clients and their stakeholders, based on issues identified and lessons learned.
The Bridge assure the quality of our research, and our methods are governed by researcher ethical codes of conduct. As a third-party service provider, we can provide clients with an assurance of a bias-free approach. Our researchers are guided by standard methodologies such as interview guides and discussion guides when collecting data in the field. Data collection is conducted in an open and collaborative manner following the principles of free, prior and informed consent, and appropriate confidentiality and data protection is applied, particularly concerning sensitive topics. Our research is administered using a ‘total survey error’ approach, which considers and seeks to mitigate factors affecting the reliability of data at all stages from sampling, to survey design, to interpretation. We use industry-standard software for subsequent data analysis including Nvivo 12 for qualitative data, and Microsoft Excel and STATA for quantitative data.
We have provided social research services in States and Regions across Myanmar to a range of clients including Oxfam, Action Aid Myanmar, Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy, Center for Operational Analysis and Research, Finn Church Aid, Care Myanmar, and Legal Clinic Myanmar, amongst others. This has included research in fragile and humanitarian settings requiring a high degree of cultural and conflict- sensitivity and operational awareness.
