Commissioning research is a significant investment, and the firm you choose determines whether you get evidence you can act on or a report that sits on a shelf. In Ghana you can choose from global networks with local offices, regional specialists and independent Ghanaian firms. Each can be the right choice, depending on your question.
These ten questions will help you compare firms on what matters: the quality of the evidence, how well they understand your decision, and how they treat your data.
1. Do they start with your decision?
The best research firms ask about the decision before they talk about methods. What will you do differently depending on the findings? Who needs to be convinced? When do you need to decide? A firm that jumps straight to a questionnaire or a price has not understood the brief.
2. Who will actually do the work?
Proposals often feature senior names. Ask who will design the study, supervise fieldwork and analyse the data, and how much of their time your project will receive. Ask about their qualifications and experience with similar studies.
3. Do they have relevant experience?
Experience in your sector shortens the learning curve and improves the questions asked. Ask for examples of similar projects, including the objective, method and how the client used the results. Where confidentiality allows, ask to speak to a past client.
4. How will they choose who to interview?
Sampling determines whether results represent the people you care about. A good proposal explains:
- Who is in the target population.
- How respondents will be selected, and why.
- How many interviews will be completed in each group you want to compare.
- The expected margin of error.
Be cautious if a proposal mentions a sample size but cannot explain how respondents will be selected.
5. Can they reach your audience?
Reaching urban consumers in Accra is very different from reaching cocoa farmers in the Western North Region or procurement managers in multinational companies. Ask how the firm will reach your audience, in which languages, and how it will handle hard-to-reach groups.
6. How do they protect data quality in the field?
Most problems in survey research happen during fieldwork, not analysis. Ask about:
- How enumerators are recruited and trained.
- Whether the questionnaire is piloted before fieldwork.
- How supervisors check that interviews took place as recorded.
- Whether digital tools such as KoboToolbox or ODK are used to catch errors early.
- How data is cleaned and validated before analysis.
A firm that answers these questions clearly and confidently takes quality seriously.
7. How will they analyse the data?
Ask which methods and software they will use, and whether they will agree an analysis plan with you before starting. Established tools include SPSS, Stata, R and Python for quantitative work and NVivo for qualitative analysis.
8. What will you receive?
Agree the deliverables in writing. A good package typically includes a report with clear findings and recommendations, the cleaned dataset, data tables and a presentation or briefing. Clarify who owns the data and the report. It should be you.
9. How will they protect your information?
Research often involves commercially sensitive information and personal data about respondents. The firm should obtain informed consent from participants, protect their identity, handle personal data in line with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), and be willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
10. Is the price transparent?
The cheapest quote is not always the best value. Ask for a cost breakdown covering design, fieldwork, data management, analysis and reporting. This lets you compare proposals fairly and see where the scope could be adjusted. Be wary of quotes that are much lower than others without an explanation. Savings usually come from smaller samples, less supervision or less experienced staff.
A simple scoring sheet
Score each proposal from 1 to 5 on these criteria to make your comparison objective:
| Criterion | What a strong proposal shows |
|---|---|
| Understanding of the brief | Restates your decision and objectives accurately |
| Method and sampling | Clear, justified design with sample sizes and margin of error |
| Quality control | Specific steps for training, piloting, supervision and cleaning |
| Team and experience | Named people with relevant experience |
| Deliverables and timeline | Clear list of outputs and realistic dates |
| Ethics and data protection | Consent, confidentiality and Act 843 compliance |
| Value for money | Transparent breakdown that matches the scope |
Red flags
- A price before any discussion of your objective.
- No explanation of sampling or quality control.
- Guaranteed findings or promises that the results will support a particular view.
- Reluctance to share the dataset or methods.
- No named team members.
Frequently asked questions
Should we choose a global firm or a local one?
Global networks offer standardised products and multi-country studies. Local firms often offer closer senior attention, deeper knowledge of local context and more flexibility. Compare them on the criteria above rather than on size.
How many proposals should we request?
Three is usually enough to compare approaches and prices without creating too much work for your team.
What should we include in our brief?
The decision, the audience, what you already know, the groups you need to compare, your timeline, your deliverables and, ideally, your budget range.
Put us to the test
We welcome these questions. Pinnacle Gate is a market research company in Ghana founded in 2019, and you can read how we protect data quality before you call. When you are ready, request a proposal.
