Resumen de Triangulation and Results Restitution in Social Service Needs Assessment

Călina Ana Buţiu, Mihai Pascaru

• The current paper attempts to develop a possible method for improvement of social service needs assessment process. The method combines triangulation with results restitution technique. The model presented and tested in a complex research project by us includes several methods: the sociological inquiry, the personal interview and the group interview (focus group). They amount to what the specialists in the field call triangulation method. We introduced an additional instrument that is results restitution to the community leaders. These leaders become involved in decisions regarding social services to be deployed, the chances of success thus being improved. The picture of the social domain also becomes clearer for both the decision makers and potential investors alike. Methodologically, the combination of triangulation and results restitution has the potential to overcome the limits of some other widely used methods like Participatory Rural Appraisal and Rapid Rural Appraisal.