Policy Oriented Research

CSES aims to produce sound research that informs and influences public policy. The Centre promotes policy changes through dialogues and discussions and dissemination of research findings directly to policy makers and by influencing public opinion.  The Centre has produced a good number of policy-oriented studies in different sectors such as public finance, education, decentralisation, governance, health, disability and issues related to marginalisation.  Many of these studies have had a profound impact on the public policies in the region. Such impacts include the introduction of a new admission policy for professional education, introduction of ‘patana veedu’ (study homes) to address the lack of learning environment and support systems for education in the homes of children in tribal households and other educationally backwards groups, inclusion of ‘forest cover’ as a devolution criteria for devolution of funds from the Central government to state governments through Finance Commission, change in programmes and policies related to public service delivery at the state and local level etc.

Evaluation & Monitoring

CSES has undertaken several impact assessment/evaluation studies and monitoring of programmes in sectors such as livelihood, service delivery, health care, education, sanitation, drinking water supply and rural development. CSES is a National Level Monitor of the Ministry of Rural Development and was also empanelled by the Planning Commission of India for conducting evaluation studies. The Centre is also empanelled/accredited for undertaking evaluation studies by the Kerala State Planning Board and for conducting Social Impact Assessment Studies by the Revenue Department. CSES conducted the economic impact assessment of two major livelihood programmes of Leonard Cheshire, South Asia- Access to Livelihoods for Persons with Disabilities funded by Accenture Foundation and Increasing Equitable Access to Livelihoods and Employment for Persons with Disabilities in India supported by the Delegation of European Union. A related study, completed in 2019, assessed the Initiatives of the Kerala Government to Protect the Rights and Welfare of Persons with Disabilities for the Government of Kerala. A major evaluation study of CSES in the areas of governance and service delivery is the endline evaluation of the World Bank funded Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project (KLGSDP). The project aimed to improve service delivery of rural and urban local bodies in Kerala, a state known to be a front runner in the decentralisation of governance and administration in India. Another evaluation study in the area of service delivery is the endline evaluation of the Service Delivery Project under the Modernising Government Programmeof the Government of Kerala, a programme funded by Asian Development Bank. The project, aimed at improving the quality of services of 21 types of government institutions, including schools, healthcare institutions, anganwadis, care homes, and government offices with citizen interface. The study produced 21 standalone. In both projects, CSES did the baseline study also. In the water sector, CSES conducted the Sustainability Evaluation of Small Water Supply Projects commissioned under Jalanidhi-Phase II, a project funded by the World Bank. As part of the study (2019), the sustainability of 900 community managed small water supply schemes was assessed on four aspects- technical, institutional, financial and user satisfaction. The information required for the study was collected through mixed methods; a survey of beneficiary groups, a survey of beneficiaries (in 5,000 households), transect walk and Focus Group Discussions. Another study in the sector is the Social and Technical Audits for the Impact Evaluation of the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project Phase I for the World Bank Impact Evaluation Unit, Washington DC (jointly with ICSD). Being a national level monitoring organisation, CSES has been monitoring the implementation of the programmes of the Ministries of the Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India since 2012-13. Till date, CSES has monitored such programmes in 18 districts of Tamil Nadu, 20 districts of Karnataka, 4 districts of Andhra Pradesh/Telangana and 2 districts of Maharashtra. CSES researchers formed the Indian team for the study titled “Comparative Study of the Impact of Donor Initiated Programmes on Research Capacity in the South” sponsored by the Directorate General for International Cooperation, Netherlands. The study included a comparative assessment of three major research programmes funded by external agencies in India. The study was part of the Multi-Annual Multi-Disciplinary Research Programme covering three Asian (Bangladesh, Vietnam and India), two African (Tanzania, Uganda) and two Latin American (Bolivia and Nicaragua) countries. Other important evaluation studies undertaken by CSES include:

a. End line evaluation of UKAID supported project Buniyaad in the state of Bihar was conducted (jointly with ICSD) for Aga Khan Foundation. The project aimed at improving exclusive breastfeeding and supplementary feeding practices among poor women.

b. Concurrent evaluation of National Rural Health Mission in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep for the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

c. Evaluation of Alternative Schooling System under the District Primary Education programme (DPEP) in Kerala: The study evaluated DPEP’s efforts to provide education to dropouts and unenrolled children, mostly belonging to the tribal and fishing community.

d. Evaluation of the Capability Building of the Research Community under Kerala Research Programme on Local Level Development (KRPLLD), a programme sponsored by the Directorate General for International Co-operation, Netherlands.

e. Study on the Impact of Thelima- Health and Sanitation Programme in Schools conducted for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

f. Evaluation of the Total Sanitation Campaign in Alappuzha and Ernakulam Districts of Kerala conducted for the Government of Kerala.

Need Assessment

CSES conducts community need assessment and training need assessment studies for government agencies, local governments and public and private sector undertakings in a wide range of sectors such as local governance, education, nutrition and service delivery.  Various techniques such as community mapping, sample surveys, focus group discussions and depth interviews with stakeholders are employed. Examples of such studies include: Need assessment studies conducted for different Grama Panchayats and Municipalities for the Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project, a World Bank funded project of the Government of Kerala; Need assessment study of under  3 children for ICDS and; community need assessment studies for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects.

Large Scale Surveys

One of the major strengths of CSES is its capability to conduct large scale quantitative surveys in different sectors all over South India (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and the Union Territories of Lakshadweep Islands and Puducherry). The major large surveys undertaken by CSES include:

  • Large scale surveys done in the health sector (All surveys were conducted for the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.)
    • Global Youth Tobacco Survey (2020) covered 12000 students of 128 schools across Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
    • DLHS-3 (2009-10) covered 16750 households in Kerala and Lakshadweep
    • DLHS-2 (2002-04) covered 17600 households in Kerala and Lakshadweep
    • DLHS-I (1998-99) covered 17600 households in Kerala and Lakshadweep
    • Global Adult Tobacco Survey Round II (GATS-I) (2016) in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Sample size- 12000
    • Global Adult Tobacco Survey Round I (GATS-I) (2009-10) in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Sample size- 7600
    • Concurrent Evaluation of NRHM in UT of Lakshadweep Islands(2009).  Sample size: 1000 households
  • Large surveys in service delivery
    • Baseline survey of the Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project (KLGSDP), a World Bank supported project. Sample size: 3300 households from 64 local bodies (48 Grama Panchayats and 16 Municipalities) (2012)
    • End Line survey of KLGSDP. Sample size: 3264 households from 64 local bodies in Kerala. (2017)
    • Baseline study of the Service Delivery Project (SDP) of the Government of Kerala, an Asian Development Bank supported project. Sample size: 7000 citizens and 572 institutions.  Study produced 21 standalone report pertaining to 21 types of government institutions. (2005-06)
    • Evaluation Study of the Service Delivery Project covered 185 Government Institutions in Kerala, and 1400 users (2008)
  • Large surveys in Water Supply and Sanitation
    • Social and Technical Audits for the Impact Evaluation of the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Jalanidhi-I) for the World Bank Impact Evaluation Unit, Washington DC (jointly with Intercooperation).  Project involved a household survey with a sample size of 3000 and technical audit of 200 rural water supply projects under different programmes in Kerala (2014)
    • Sustainability Evaluation of Small Water Supply Projects in Kerala (Round I) (SEE-1) under Jalanidhi, Government of Kerala.  Sample size: 303 water supply schemes and 1800 households (2015)
    • Sustainability Evaluation of Small Water Supply Projects (Round I: SEE-2) of Jalandhi.  Sample size: 900 water supply schemes and 6600 households (2017)
    • SEE-3 for Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project (Jalanidhi).  Sample size: 191 water supply schemes and 1400 households (2019)
    • Evaluation of the Total Sanitation Campaign in Alappuzha and Ernakulam Districts for the Government of Kerala. Sample size: 1000 households and 120 institutions. (2012)
  • Other large surveys
    • Census of Coir Units and a Sample Survey of Coir Workers for Coir Directorate, Government of Kerala. Project involved collection of data from more than 75000 households, about 13000 coir workers and 1000 industrial units distributed all over Kerala.(2007) 
    • Employment and Social Protection of Cashew Workers in India with special reference to Kerala for V.V.Giri National Labour Institute.  Sample size: 1000 cashew workers. (2013)

Status of Pre-primary Education in Kerala for Government of Kerala.  Sample size: 3000 pre-primary education institutions. (2001)

DPR Preparation

CSES extends scientific and technical support to various government agencies and local governments in the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).  The Centre is an accredited agency of the Department of Local Self Government, Kerala for providing technical service to local governments in the preparation of DPRs. As an accredited agency, the Grama Panchayats, Municipalities and Municipal Corporations can engage CSES without following the tendering procedure.

The Centre is empanelled as a Technical Support Organisation of the Department of Rural Development for the preparation of DPRs for the watershed development projects. In the past, CSES has been preparing DPRs of watershed development projects under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP). DPRs were prepared for ten IWMP projects in different parts of Kerala. DPRs were also prepared for different Grama Panchayats and Municipalities for the Kerala Local Government Service Delivery Project, a World Bank funded project of the Government of Kerala.