Study design

Services for Independent Living

The Mission

Services for Independent Living (SIL) is a non-profit Center for Independent Living that promotes independence for persons with disabilities, seniors, and veterans.

The Situation

In 2023, Services for Independent Living (SIL) launched the Missouri Centers for Independent Living Demonstration Project to Promote Independent Living, supported by grant funding. The study leverages a series of assessments aimed to capture data used to understand and articulate the usage and impact of SIL services across Missouri.

As the study progressed, concerns emerged about whether the planned approach would effectively meet the project’s research objectives. Without adjustments, there was a risk that the data collected would not support clear, accurate conclusions - potentially reducing the return on investment for the project and undermining future fundraising and advocacy efforts.

Solutions Delivered

  • Impactful Insights started by conducting a comprehensive review and assessment of the study’s design, uncovering critical limitations in population selection, data capture methods, and statistical validity that could compromise results.  We also evaluated the alignment between study design and organizational objectives, identifying gaps that threatened the ability to draw clear, actionable conclusions from the data.

  • We delivered a clear and compelling presentation of findings and recommendations, successfully influencing leadership to make proactive adjustments and safeguard the integrity, utility, and long-term value of the study.

  • This work helped SIL to maximize the impact of their research investment, protect future funding opportunities, and enhance their ability to advocate for independent living services across Missouri.

“Beth's expertise included not only insight into data analysis and the project gaps but insight how to present those gaps to the leadership in a way that gave confidence those changes may get buy-in.

We have a study with a number of important gaps that will make our data incomplete or hard to communicate. By helping us draft a gap analysis and create a professional presentation that made the gaps appear clear, identifiable, and actionable, we were able to educate the leadership of the need to revise the study before it was too late. We will have a much stronger and more effective study now, that can address more fully the complete diversity of audiences.

By putting focus on finding a clear immediate deliverable amid a still organizing project, and working with me on an important deadline, I was able to ask the most important questions and get my concerns heard and acted upon by a better educated leadership. Working with Beth was very easy, as she asked the right questions to lead me to see the next step even before she laid it out for me. Her communication and teamwork skills made it both pleasant and a good education experience for me as well, as she helped me not only to produce but to understand the deliverables."

—John Greer, Services for Independent Living