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