Business, Commerce and Management Studies Public Administration

Public Sector Research Methodology for Major Reports Training

SAQA US 242915 | NQF 7 | Credits 12 | Duration 9 Days
From $1,798 per delegate

Description

This course equips public sector professionals with the advanced research methodologies required to compile major research reports. Participants will learn to design, conduct, and evaluate research that informs policy, programme evaluation, and strategic decision-making in a public sector context.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply appropriate research methodologies to a defined public sector problem.
  • Analyze data using qualitative and quantitative methods for policy-relevant conclusions.
  • Evaluate the ethical and legal considerations in public sector research.
  • Design a research proposal that aligns with public sector governance frameworks.
  • Implement data collection techniques that ensure validity and reliability.
  • Demonstrate the ability to compile a major research report with actionable recommendations.

Target Audience

This course is designed for public sector managers, policy analysts, researchers, and officials who are required to produce or oversee major research reports as part of their duties.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Public Sector Research

Objectives:
• Understand the role of research in the public sector
• Distinguish between different types of research methodologies
• Identify ethical considerations in public sector research
• Recognise the importance of research in policy development

Topics:
• Overview of public sector research
• Types of research: basic, applied, evaluation
• Research ethics and governance
• The research process: from problem to report
• Introduction to the unit standard 242915

Day 2: Problem Definition and Literature Review

Objectives:
• Formulate a clear research problem statement
• Conduct a systematic literature review
• Develop a conceptual framework
• Identify gaps in existing knowledge

Topics:
• Defining the research problem
• Sources of research questions in the public sector
• Literature search strategies
• Critical appraisal of sources
• Building a conceptual framework

Day 3: Research Design and Methodology

Objectives:
• Choose appropriate research designs for public sector studies
• Differentiate between qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
• Develop a research proposal
• Understand sampling techniques

Topics:
• Research design types: descriptive, correlational, experimental
• Qualitative approaches: case studies, interviews
• Quantitative approaches: surveys, experiments
• Mixed-methods design
• Sampling methods and sample size determination

Day 4: Data Collection Methods

Objectives:
• Design data collection instruments
• Plan and conduct interviews and focus groups
• Administer surveys effectively
• Ensure data quality and validity

Topics:
• Questionnaire design and testing
• Interview protocols
• Focus group facilitation
• Observation methods
• Secondary data sources
• Data quality assurance

Day 5: Data Analysis and Interpretation

Objectives:
• Apply basic statistical techniques to quantitative data
• Code and analyse qualitative data
• Interpret findings in context
• Use software for data analysis

Topics:
• Descriptive statistics
• Inferential statistics overview
• Qualitative data coding and thematic analysis
• Using SPSS or NVivo basics
• Interpreting results and drawing conclusions

Day 6: Writing and Structuring Major Reports

Objectives:
• Structure a major research report according to public sector standards
• Write clearly and concisely
• Incorporate evidence and citations
• Develop executive summaries and recommendations

Topics:
• Report structure: introduction, methodology, findings, conclusion
• Writing style for public sector reports
• Referencing and citation styles (e.g., Harvard, APA)
• Executive summary writing
• Formulating actionable recommendations

Day 7: Quality Assurance and Review Processes

Objectives:
• Apply quality assurance criteria to research reports
• Conduct peer reviews constructively
• Revise reports based on feedback
• Understand the approval process in the public sector

Topics:
• Quality criteria for research reports
• Peer review process
• Incorporating feedback
• Revision strategies
• Approval workflows in government

Day 8: Ethics, Stakeholder Engagement, and Dissemination

Objectives:
• Apply ethical principles throughout the research process
• Engage stakeholders effectively
• Plan dissemination of findings
• Present research to diverse audiences

Topics:
• Ethical issues in public sector research
• Informed consent and confidentiality
• Stakeholder mapping and engagement
• Dissemination strategies: reports, presentations, policy briefs
• Presentation skills

Day 9: Integration, Assessment, and Action Planning

Objectives:
• Integrate all learning into a coherent research plan
• Complete a summative assessment
• Develop an action plan for future research projects
• Reflect on learning and application

Topics:
• Review of key concepts
• Summative assessment: research proposal or report outline
• Action planning for real-world application
• Course evaluation and feedback
• Certification requirements

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Fri 11 Sep 2026 Wed 23 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Thu 01 Oct 2026 Tue 13 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
Wed 21 Oct 2026 Mon 02 Nov 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,798 Register
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Tue 12 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,798 Register
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Fri 05 Mar 2027 Wed 17 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
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Wed 17 Mar 2027 Mon 29 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,798 Register
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Tue 28 Dec 2027 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Thu 27 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,798 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
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Mon 14 Sep 2026 Thu 24 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $2,338 Register
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Thu 25 Mar 2027 Tue 06 Apr 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 16 Jun 2027 Mon 28 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 06 Jul 2027 Fri 16 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Thu 05 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $2,338 Register
Fri 17 Sep 2027 Wed 29 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 07 Oct 2027 Tue 19 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 27 Oct 2027 Mon 08 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $2,338 Register
Thu 16 Dec 2027 Tue 28 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Wed 05 Jan 2028 Mon 17 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Tue 25 Jan 2028 Fri 04 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $2,338 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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