This essay presents some of the possibilities for doing systematic quantitative research in the field of African public administration and reviews some of the methodological problems involved. The authors argue that quantitative research is especially desirable because of the gains to be achieved in precision, reliability, comparability, and new insight. A study of productivity in public administration is suggested as a useful starting point. Such a study would meet the demand for usefulness made by civil servant administrators and, at the same time, would expand the boundaries of knowledge and theoretical power. The possibilities of productivity research are illustrated by considering two hypothetical African agricultural marketing boards. (Author/DN)