Quantitative/Qualitative Approach Framework

[jzabroski]

[jzabroski]

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/1-Advantages-and-disadvantages-of-different-approaches-for-applying-the-guidance-15_tbl1_321129140

[jzabroski]

Approach	Advantages	Disadvantages
Assess impacts qualitatively only	Gives an understanding of expected impacts in descriptive rather than numerical terms. Easier, simpler, requires less time, resources and capacity	Does not enable a quantified estimate of the impacts of a policy or action, which limits the range of objectives the assessment can meet Risk of over-simplication or limited understanding of relevant impact drivers
Assess impacts quantitatively (which includes qualitative assessment as a step)	Enables more robust and accurate understanding of the impacts of policies and actions Best enables an understanding of tradeoffs between impact categories Meets wider set of objectives (related to understanding policy impact) Meets widest set of stakeholder needs	* Increased time, cost, data and capacity needs, depending on approach taken (simpler to more complex)
Track progress of indicators over time	Enables understanding of whether indicators of interest are moving in the right direction in relation to goal levels, such as SDGs Easier, simpler, requires less resources/capacity *In some cases, sufficient to meet objectives, such as tracking progress towards national goals	* Does not enable an estimate of "impact" of a policy or action, because changes in indicators are not attributed to individual policies/actions, which limits the range of objectives the assessment can meet