How to Commission Market Research in Zambia

Organisations commission market research when an important decision carries uncertainty. The decision might concern a new product, customer segment, market entry, campaign, brand position, distribution model or service experience.

The strongest briefs do not begin with a preferred questionnaire or sample size. They begin with the business decision and the evidence needed to make it responsibly. The following steps can help a team commission focused research in Zambia.

1. State the decision before the research question

Explain what the organisation must decide after the study. For example: whether to launch, which customer group to prioritise, which proposition to use, where an experience is breaking down or how a campaign should change. A clear decision prevents the project from becoming a broad collection of interesting facts.

2. Separate what is known from what is assumed

Bring together existing sales data, customer records, campaign reports, previous studies and operational knowledge. Label each important point as evidence, interpretation or assumption. This avoids paying to rediscover what is already known and reveals the gaps that could materially change the decision.

3. Define the audience precisely

Terms such as consumers, youth, households or small businesses are usually too broad for sampling and analysis. Define relevant locations, behaviours, category involvement, decision roles and eligibility conditions. If the study includes several provinces or languages, explain why each is needed and how the results will be used.

4. Choose methods for the question

Quantitative research can estimate incidence, compare groups and track measures when the sample and questionnaire are appropriate. Qualitative research can explore language, motivations, experiences and emerging hypotheses. Observation, mystery shopping, central location tests, telephone interviews, online surveys and mixed-method designs each answer different questions. Ask the agency to explain why its proposed method fits the decision, audience and operating context.

5. Ask for a transparent fieldwork and quality plan

The proposal should explain recruitment, interviewer training, language handling, supervision, respondent verification, data checks, exclusion rules and issue escalation. Where partners or subcontractors are involved, responsibilities should be explicit. Quality control is not a paragraph added to the report; it is a set of actions built into recruitment, data collection and processing.

6. Protect respondents and their information

Confirm what personal information will be collected, why it is necessary, how consent will be handled, who can access the data and how long it will be retained. Avoid collecting information that is not required for the research objective. Any recording, photography or follow-up contact should be explained appropriately to participants.

7. Agree the analysis before data collection

List the comparisons, segments, measures and decision thresholds that matter. This makes the questionnaire or discussion guide more disciplined and reduces the risk of discovering too late that a key question was not captured. Treat exploratory findings honestly and avoid presenting small or unsuitable subgroups as precise market estimates.

8. Design the deliverable for action

A useful report should connect evidence to the decision. Agree the required outputs: an executive readout, detailed report, dashboard, data tables, workshop or decision framework. The agency should distinguish observed evidence from interpretation and recommendations, state limitations and make the next actions clear.

Start with a focused brief

A strong first conversation can be concise. Share the business decision, target audience, markets or locations, timing, known constraints and existing evidence. A capable research partner should then help refine the question, challenge unnecessary scope and propose the smallest credible programme that improves the decision.