Our Research

In 2018 KCG was extensively involved in a data collection exercise for a research collaboration between Kobe University, Japan and the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka on Social Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Poverty Reduction following the Civil War in Sri Lanka.

This project funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) saw the collection of survey data from 1,600 households in the former conflict affected Northern and Eastern provinces in the country. While round 1 of this longitudinal survey gathered data on effects of conflict on income, health, education, employment, marriage and overall subjective well-being, round 2 of this data collection exercise is currently underway in September 2022.

Between 2014 and 2020, Kandy Consulting Group was involved in several large scale, longitudinal and experiment based surveys in Sri Lanka for the Pluralistic Memories Project, a multi sited research study on conflict memories and transitional justice, implemented simultaneously in Burundi, Israeli-Palestine and Sri Lanka.

The Project was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, under the Swiss Programme for Research on Global Issues for Development, and implemented by a research group at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and hosted locally by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) Sri Lanka. The work involved surveys incorporating random sampling, network sampling and a mix of both, spanning sample sizes of 400, 1200 and 1800 throughout Sri Lanka.

Project website: https://wp.unil.ch/pmp/

In 2019 the Kandy Consulting Group in partnership with SEO Amsterdam Economics and Palladium International conducted an extensive impact evaluation exercise of the “Women Entrepreneurs Financial Initiative (We-Fi)” project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

This involved KCGs utilization of longitudinal surveys and qualitative methodologies such as focus group discussions involving a business related capacity building training carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers for 818 women entrepreneurs throughout Sri Lanka and their subsequent access to a formal finance initiative provided through numerous banks in Sri Lanka that were funded as a grant by the ADB.

The Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) surveys were condudted using the SurveyCTO platform.

Research project to examine the impact of business training and capital grants on existing and potential female enterprises.

Survey of over 600 current female enterprise owners and over 600 unemployed but potential self-employed females in 10 Divisional Secretariat divisions in 7 districts in Jan 2009. This consisted of a business training and capital grants intervention programme to randomly selected participants - including running an individual-level awareness of offer, coordinating with external business consulting firm in running ILO developed business training modules, payment of capital grants to selected participants.

Four follow-up surveys in Sep 2009, Jan 2010, Sep 2010, Jun 2011 were also carried out.

A survey of over 500 informal businesses in Colombo and Kandy districts in Dec 2008 to investigate the Demand for Formality among informal unregistered businesses.  KCG also supervised the administering of registration information treatment and cash treatment to randomly selected enterprises.

Three follow-up surveys in Aug 2010, Mar 2011, Dec 2011 were also were carried out.

Research project to examine the savings behaviour of urban self-employed and casual/daily paid workers.

This involved a listing exercise of 10300 households to identify urban self-employed and casual wage worker sample in Oct 2010. A Baseline Survey of 2340 urban self employed and casual wage worker sample was carried out, a savings mobilization programme was implemented using a newly developed mobile phone linked bank savings product to 1830 randomly selected participants. Monthly and annual follow-up surveys were conducted until Jan 2013. 

A randomized research experiment to measure the causal impact of micro-equity investments on firm investment and growth strategy. This was implemented though a partnership developed with the Chamber of Commerce of Hambantota to identify a potential investment pool.

These are all entrepreneurs who are well beyond the subsistence level, and are looking to make investments to set their business on a new growth trajectory. The Investments typically are aimed at buying some type of speciality equipment, which has a very limited re-sale market and costs between 350,000 and 1 million Sri Lankan Rupees (USD $3000-8000). The first legally registered joint venture agreement was signed in Feb 2013, with the auto-electrical firm in Hambanthota, for an amount of 500,000 Sri Lankan Rupees (US$4200). Eight further contracts for similar amounts have been signed.

Research project to examine the savings behaviour of rural self-employed. This involved a Listing exercise of 3650 households to identify rural unbanked self-employed sample (including sub-sample of those participating in informal savings (rosca)) in Bandarawela and Mahiyangana areas in July 2010.

A Baseline Survey of 800 rural unbanked self-employed sample in August 2010 (which also included drawing in other rosca members into the sample). A savings mobilization programme using point-of-service device in partnership with a national-level savings bank to 400 randomly selected participants for which monthly and quarterly follow-up surveys were conducted until January 2012 and on a six-monthly basis.

A research project examining the rate of return to capital in and the post-tsunami recovery process of micro-enterprises.

A survey of over 600 micro-enterprises in the Kalutara, Matara and Galle districts was carried out every quarter.

Equipment and cash treatments/ interventions to randomly selected enterprises were administered. Follow-up surveys were conducted after five years to examine post-tsunami recovery of enterprises.

Research project to examine the growth process of small scale male-run enterprises.

1500 small scale male-run enterprises in 18 DS divisions in 9 districts in surveyed in October 2008. The survey consisted of a matched savings intervention programme to randomly selected participants in partnership with a national-level savings bank, a business skills training programme to randomly selected participants in partnership with an external business consulting firm (ILO developed business training modules), and an employee-hiring incentive programme with cash incentives on hiring an additional worker to randomly selected participants.

7 Follow-up surveys of same sample every six months in Oct 2009Oct - 2012 period were also conducted.

A research project examining entrepreneurial attributes of small and medium scale enterprises and wage workers for comparison purposes with SLMS micro-enterprise sample. A field survey of around 425 SMEs and 450 wage workers was carried out in Kalutara, Matara and Galle districts.

Research project examining the measurement of profits in around 180 household-based retail trade micro-enterprises in the Kandy district.