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Research & Assessments

Studies and assessments that build the evidence base for programme and policy decisions.

Research and assessment work answers questions that arise before a decision is taken: what the situation is, who is affected, what is already being done, and what options exist. CGS conducts studies for organisations that need an evidence base rather than confirmation of an existing plan.

Scope ranges from rapid needs assessments to multi-governorate studies combining survey data, interviews and review of secondary sources.

What it includes

  • Scoping and research design
  • Literature and secondary data review
  • Primary data collection across selected sites
  • Stakeholder and institutional mapping
  • Analysis and written report
  • Data files and documentation

Our approach

Method follows the question. A market assessment, an institutional assessment and a needs assessment call for different instruments, and the design stage settles which is appropriate before fieldwork begins.

Findings are reported with the evidence that supports them, including where that evidence is thin. Where a study cannot answer a question with the data available, that is stated.

Clients served

MAISGIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit)Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), CairoEmbassy of France - Ministry of Foreign AffairsLife Makers Foundation EgyptPlan International Family & Community Organization - Plan International EgyptSave the Children International (SCI)Tasaheel FinanceCARE EgyptKheir wa Baraka Charity AssociationIstituto Tecnico Industriale Salesiano - Don Bosco

Selected assignments

Current

Labour Market and Skills Gap Analysis for Youth Apprenticeships

July 2026 - September 2026

MAIS ONG commissioned CGS to deliver the primary labour market assessment and skills gap analysis behind TAKE STEPS, an AICS-funded apprenticeship programme for 600 young people. The assessment spans Greater Cairo, Damietta and Sharkia across three components.

Needs AssessmentMarket AssessmentLarge-scale Data Collection Cairo, Giza, Qalyubia and 2 more
Current

Gender and Market Study in Siwa for the KHADRA Project

December 2025 - TBD, subject to security approvals

A mixed-methods gender and market analysis in Siwa providing the evidence base for the planning and implementation of the KHADRA project across agriculture, tourism, artisanry and silversmithing.

Market Assessment Siwa, Matrouh
Current

CSOs Capacity Strengthening Programme

September 2025 - October 2026

Institutional assessment and capacity strengthening for nine civil society organisations supported by the FEF-OSC Programme, using the NGO Performance Index to identify capacity gaps and compliance risks.

Institutional AssessmentTraining & Coaching Egypt

Damietta Labour Market Assessment for Apprenticeship Design

July 2026 - August 2026

MAIS commissioned CGS to build the evidence base for the second phase of an enterprise-based apprenticeship programme in Damietta. The assessment combined 31 enterprise interviews, seven institutional interviews and eight focus group discussions with young people across the governorate.

Needs AssessmentMarket Assessment Damietta

NGO Capacity Assessment and Institutional Strengthening

April 2026 - June 2026

Life Makers Foundation commissioned CGS to assess and strengthen the institutional capacity of five partner associations under the Sponsorship Project. The work covers a nine-domain diagnostic, tailored roadmaps, 40 training days and 90 hours of coaching.

Needs AssessmentInstitutional AssessmentTraining & Coaching Cairo, Giza, Qalyubia and 2 more

Sustainable, Inclusive Rural Tourism Rapid Assessment, Dahshour

April 2026 - May 2026

Plan International Egypt commissioned CGS to build the evidence base for an AECID-funded proposal on sustainable, inclusive rural tourism around Dahshour in Giza. The rapid mixed-methods assessment combined 12 focus group discussions, 20 key informant interviews and a desk review across the Saqqara-Dahshour corridor.

Needs AssessmentMarket Assessment Dahshour and neighbouring villages, Badrashin, Giza

Do No Harm Study (DNHS)

December 2025 - December 2026

A Do No Harm assessment of religious actors, institutions and faith-based networks in Egypt regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights, focusing on women, youth and persons with disabilities.

Mapping & Landscaping Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt and Cairo

Impact of Global Fund Reduction

October 2025 - January 2026

Assessment of how aid reductions are affecting children's access to essential services in Egypt, with a focus on refugee populations and vulnerable host communities.

Mapping & Landscaping Egypt

Assessment of Fundraising Potential in Egypt

September 2025 - December 2025

Assessment of charitable giving and fundraising potential across high-net-worth individuals, philanthropic institutions, zakat institutions, corporate CSR, public donations and digital platforms.

Market Assessment Egypt

Agricultural Labour Market and Value Chain Assessment, Luxor

May - June 2025

E-Youth commissioned Common Ground Solutions (CGS) to assess labour demand across agricultural value chains in Luxor Governorate under the Mozare3 initiative of the GIZ Digitizing the Vegetable Value Chains for Job Creation in Upper Egypt (DVC) project, to identify wage employment and self employment pathways for TVET graduates. CGS combined analysis of 2023 Labour Force Survey microdata and a review of nine value chains with a structured survey of 48 purposively selected agricultural establishments.

Market Assessment Esna and other districts of Luxor Governorate

Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment in Alexandria

March 2025 - August 2025

Comprehensive assessment of needs, vulnerabilities and service gaps across health, education, child protection, cash assistance and youth livelihoods for Egyptian and refugee communities.

Needs AssessmentLarge-scale Data Collection Alexandria

Lessons Learned Study - She Feeds the World (SFtW)

December 2024 - February 2025

Capturing learning from Village Savings and Loan Associations, income-generating activities and value-chain integration, including how Farmer Field Business Schools improved yields and irrigation efficiency.

Lessons Learned Study Behira, Minya, Beni Suef and Giza

Mapping and Study of Youth Civic Space

October 2024 - December 2024

Cataloguing youth-led organisations across three governorates, pinpointing civic-space constraints and examining pathways for formalising informal groups.

Mapping & Landscaping Sohag, Aswan and Qalyubia

Baseline Study - Protection for Syrian and Non-Syrian Refugees

April 2024 - August 2024

Combining market research with financial modelling to design four income-generating projects for women's centres, alongside a baseline analysing risks and setting indicator starting values.

Baseline StudyFeasibility Study Alexandria and Cairo

Vocational Training Centres Assessment

July 2023 - November 2023

Evaluation of ten vocational training centres examining infrastructure, administration quality, toolkit availability and trainee satisfaction, with recommendations to upgrade performance.

Institutional Assessment Cairo and Giza

Market Scan for Youth Self-Employment

December 2023 - March 2024

A four-governorate scan pairing policy review with qualitative fieldwork to judge the viability of income-generating opportunities and pinpoint high-potential sectors for young entrepreneurs.

Market AssessmentFeasibility Study Aswan, Giza, Cairo and Qalyubia

Gender-Responsive TVET Rapid Assessment, Greater Cairo

October 2023 - December 2023

Don Bosco Technical Institute in Cairo commissioned CGS to assess vocational training centres in Greater Cairo and identify needs and gaps in gender-responsive, inclusive TVET delivery. The rapid qualitative assessment combined workshop observations at ten centres, 42 key informant interviews and 11 focus group discussions with 57 trainees.

Needs AssessmentMapping & LandscapingInstitutional Assessment Greater Cairo (Cairo, Giza and Qalyubia)

Needs Assessment for Women's Shelter Centres

September 2023

Needs assessment for the Development of Women's Hosting and Guidance Centers project, evaluating physical infrastructure requirements across two governorates.

Needs Assessment Banha and Giza

Other services

Monitoring & EvaluationCapacity DevelopmentData Collection & ManagementProgramme Design & SupportPlanning & Event Management

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