During the first week of December, Kendra Leith, ASPIRE co-PI and MIT D-Lab Associate Director for Research, led a three-day training session at the UVG central campus, introducing Lean Research to members of the UVG training and research teams. The workshop consisted of a one-day introductory workshop for facilitators, followed by a two-day planning and training session for facilitators. Leith and those trained to facilitate then delivered an introductory workshop to the rest of the ASPIRE Research Team and some members of the ASPIRE research projects at the UVG Campus Central.*

What is Lean Research?

“Lean Research is an approach that was co-created by colleagues at MIT and Tufts, aimed at improving data collection. Drawing from user-centered design approaches, Lean Research places the experience of the human ‘research subject’ at the center of research design and implementation. By creating a respectful and enjoyable experience for research participants, Lean Research seeks to: 

• Increase the quality and accuracy of information collected through field research
• Improve the usefulness of research results to interested parties
• Enable both the research process and the results to benefit the study subjects and their communities, as well as stakeholders and decision-makers” (MIT D-Lab, 2023).

Training of the Trainers

In the introductory Lean Research workshop for the ASPIRE researchers, Leith and the lead facilitators, including Alix Van Zandt, Director of Curriculum and Training for UVG-ASPIRE, and Ana Lucia Solano, Director of Research for UVG-ASPIRE, shared the objectives and principles of Lean Research and helped participants identify how Lean Research might be relevant to their work; specifically how it could be applied to research, monitoring, and evaluation activities. The workshop aimed to give participants the opportunity to apply some of the concepts to current research examples through hands-on exercises.**

“The Lean Research Workshop [was] incredibly insightful and valuable. The interactive nature of the workshop allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of Lean Research principles and methodologies. The practical examples shared during the workshop were particularly helpful in illustrating how Lean Research can be applied in real-world scenarios…The emphasis on the four principles of Lean Research has provided a solid framework for conducting research that is not only rigorous but also respectful of diverse perspectives. This approach ensures that our research is relevant to the needs of our stakeholders and is appropriately scaled to deliver meaningful insights,” Lourdes Figueroa, Project Manager, Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) UVG.

Lean Research in Action

Key to ASPIRE’s mission is the strengthening of research capacity. Through the instruction of trainers activities, the facilitators will be better prepared to continue workshops on Lean Research in the future. In addition, some of the participants in the introductory workshop will have the opportunity to apply the approach to their research projects already underway and participate in a Master Class in early 2024, reinforcing the use of the new tool. 

As a participant, ASPIRE Project Researcher (UVG) Francisco Del Cid, is excited to be among the first trained at UVG in this human-centered approach to research. He notes that “As an ASPIRE researcher, Lean Research helps me remember the importance of individuals, in addition to having valuable, effective and organized tools, to obtain important information and data in accordance with the principles of rigorous, respectful, relevant and right-sized research. I am grateful to belong to this team that, in addition to the knowledge shared, teaches by example that every effort has a valuable reward.”

About ASPIRE

The ASPIRE Project is a five-year, $15 million project funded by USAID and implemented by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), and the Guatemalan Exporters Association (AGEXPORT), with the goal of creating a world-class, replicable model for how Latin American universities, in collaboration with the private sector, government, and local communities, can respond to local and regional development needs. The project implements a collaborative approach to research, teaching, innovation, entrepreneurship, and tech transfer, based on the combination of local assets and knowledge with MIT’s experience in the innovation ecosystem.

*Many of the workshop activities were adapted from resources and activities created by Roxani Krystalli (University of St. Andrews), Elizabeth Hoffecker (MIT), Kim Wilson (The Fletcher School at Tufts University), Kendra Leith (MIT D-Lab), and Sher Vogel (MIT D-Lab). The workshop also leveraged work completed as part of a collaboration with Ashesi University with Gordon Adomdza Arkeisha Amissah-Arthur, and Jewel Thompson. Members of the MIT team including Elizabeth Hoffecker, Libby McDonald, Lauren McKown, Megha Hegde, and Sher Vogel, also provided input and feedback on the previous activities. Alix Van Zandt, Ana Lucia Solano, Anita Vega, and Glarett Ramirez of UVG, Michael Eschleman of MIT, and Diana Chamorro helped adapt the content to the Guatemalan context.

**Vogel, S. & Leith, K. (2022). Introduction to Lean Research workshop facilitator guide. D-Lab.