Quasi Impact Study on Customers who Shifted from Post Pay to Prepay Electricity Metering System: Case Study of Kenya Power and Lighting Company

The content of this document emphasizes on the need to carry out a professional quasi research work bearing the titles “Impact of”, “Influence of” or “effect of”. More often than not, these words are misinterpreted and misunderstood. If it so happens, the researchers will finally end up presenting a half baked research findings.
The researcher, carrying out the work bearing those titles must understand their meaning and the approach required to make the work professional. The importance of understanding the area of study before and after the intervention is ultimately very critical. Why? This enables the researcher to boldly present a proof without any shadow of doubt or contradiction that an impact or a change experienced was indeed as a result of intervention.

This document present practical quasi impact research conducted for customers who shifted from post pay metering to prepay, being a case study of Kenya Power Company. It’s a quasi research because it does not reflect a pure impact study. The pure impact study must have a baseline survey study before the intervention was introduced. The samples of research are randomly selected and one group is subjected to an intervention while the other remains as a control group upon which no action is subjected to it.
A study on a control group (upon which no intervention was introduced) is considered important towards clarification of the authenticity of the findings. It’s critical in that it promotes the accuracy and affirms strongly that the changes experienced in the findings are as a result of an intervention.
For quasi impact research, surveys are mostly conducted after the intervention had already been introduced. The samples of research are not randomly selected but grouped according to the characteristics they have in common. (Example in this case is for the prepaid customers who shifted from post pay in Kenya Power Company in Nairobi County since 2009). Those grouped as post paid have the same characteristics and the same is true for prepaid customers.

The researcher uses recalling questions to obtain data from the respondents. That means the research conducted should be fresh in the memory of the respondents since an old project will provide misleading information due to forgotten crucial facts.
The writer of this document has conducted a survey for a project on prepay metering which commenced in 2009 and is still ongoing.

The document proposes an introduction of clear guidelines and a check list in the institution of learning to monitor and promote the highest degree of professionalism in conducting research. This will create an acceptable standard format for conducting a quasi impact research. Any research that falls short of the outlined guidelines and standards will be considered incomplete