Using a longitudinal MMR design to capture the complexity of outcome and process driven governance in rural India

Measuring governance is a challenging exercise as governance outcomes are defined both by tangible and intangible indicators. Since good governance is linked with democracy, people’s participation is seen as critical to achieving better governance outcomes. To understand this, an intervention to increase people’s participation in local governance was undertaken using a longitudinal mixed methods design. The study included a large-scale Randomized Control Trial (RCT) with a five-year qualitative study to document process change. While the RCT data did not show any impact from the intervention, the qualitative research explained the ‘failure’ by unpacking the factors responsible and uncovered nuanced, process driven treatment effects that are difficult to capture in structured surveys. This chapter illustrates the importance of using mixed methods to measure complex concepts such as governance that are both outcome and process driven. While the use of mixed methods provides a more comprehensive understanding of governance processes that combine tangible and non-tangible outcomes, the challenge lies in ensuring an appropriate design.