Fees
In striving to devote resources to programs that benefit students and clients directly, educational, social service and other non-profit organizations have limited funds available to hire research consultants. This is unfortunate, as research can aid these organizations in ensuring their scarce resources are being allocated for maximum benefit. We recognize the unique budgetary constraints facing non-profit organizations and have structured our services and fees accordingly.
Some clients need a one-time research training and short-term methodological support, for which there is a set fee. Some clients find it more advantageous to establish a longer-term consulting arrangement whereby after a short period of intensive training and perhaps research planning, PAER™ is then available on an as-needed basis to provide strategic and methodological support. Continued support includes answering questions about learning assessment, program review, and program evaluation design and implementation, review of draft survey instruments and focus group protocols, facilitation of focus groups, providing input on quantitative and qualitative data analysis, offering suggestions as to how to present research results visually, etc. Because individuals learn how to conduct outcomes-based research by actually designing and implementing studies (not merely through attending seminars), we strive to make this type of arrangement cost-effective for our clients.
Fees for conducting independent research are usually calculated in terms of tasks and deliverables (e.g., data collection, analysis, and presentation of a formal report and/or slides). If you have a predetermined budget for a research project, PAER™ can scope the study to your parameters. When research projects are billed on an hourly basis, the client is charged only for activities that directly relate to performing the specified tasks and creating the promised deliverables. Clients do not pay for travel time. There are no hidden administrative fees.
Free Initial Project Consultation
All research projects are scoped and managed by Dr. Lisa A. Kramer. Lisa has a master's degree in psychology and a Ph.D. in sociology. Prior to founding PAER™ she performed large-scale program evaluation and policy studies for the federal government and was a Manager of Assessment and Evaluation at Stanford University. She has been conducting applied research for social service organizations, educational institutions, government agencies and industry for 14 years. For a free project consultation, please send an email to info@paerconsulting.com or call 650.833.9344.