CARE Malawi, having recently completed a baseline study for the CRLSP and CRIMP projects, has expressed interest in accumulating lessons learned and best practices associated with the conduct of its baseline and evaluation study methodology. This report is meant to provide recommendations to CARE Malawi in the form of a guide for future studies. The report is based on a careful review of the CRLSP and CRIMP program baseline study as well as on the experience of the authors in conducting similar studies for CARE worldwide.