INDIANA UNIVERSITY (IU)

We study what goes on inside civil society organizations using an innovative adaptation of the data collection technique known as systematic social observation (SSO). Trained observers attend meetings, events, and activities of organizations and use a specially designed form to record comparable, quantitative data from each gathering. We are particularly interested in four organizational dynamics: interaction among participants, the exercise of leadership, the ways groups deliberate and make decisions, and the way physical environments influence activity. We have successfully piloted the tools in studies of student organizations and urban community-based organizations. This new approach to measuring what happens in civil society organizations will provide insight on how organizations can conduct their activities in ways that lead to greater civic engagement, endurance, and effectiveness.