Ep 2 The Listening Lens: When Communities Lead the Way
Welcome to the second episode of The Qual Point of View, a limited podcast series featuring expert voices from the field using qualitative insights for real-time decision-making.
In this episode, Ooloi Labs co-founder Yashna Jhamb speaks with Priyanka Dutt and Samir Khan from GivingTuesday about the evolving role of qualitative research in driving social impact.
The conversation explores the “why behind the what”; how stories, motivations, and human experiences bring depth to data. Together, they explore how qualitative and quantitative methods can work in tandem, the tensions between academic rigor and on-ground adaptability, and why failure should be embraced as part of the learning process.
They also discuss power dynamics in research, community-led design, and the ethical use of technology and AI in shaping the future of research.
The episode is a reminder of what it means to truly listen; not as a checkbox in a program design document, but as a genuine commitment to letting community voices lead, shape, and redefine the work itself.
In this podcast
Priyanka Dutt
Priyanka serves as Chief Advisor, India for GivingTuesday, championing the global generosity movement that envisions a world driven by shared humanity and radical generosity. She has been instrumental in forging collaborations and designing flagship programs that have expanded the footprint of the movement in India. A seasoned leader with a particular expertise in the use of media and communication for social impact, Priyanka has previously worked on public health, gender equity and labor rights issues.
Samir Khan
Samir oversees GivingTuesday’s research, data, and academic partnership initiatives, supporting the work of the team in creating new initiatives, developing approaches for understanding problems, and interpreting findings for actionable insights. He is passionate about helping the social sector better tackle the pressing challenges and navigate social, economic, and technological change. Before joining GivingTuesday, Samir had a long career in program evaluation, policy analysis. organizational learning, and strategy, having worked in the fields of workforce development, education, and civil society strengthening.