Research & Evaluation
We want the process of commissioning a research or evaluation project to be an enjoyable and collaborative experience. We will guide you through the different stages including defining the research questions and methods; undertaking the fieldwork;, analysing the data that has been collected; reporting and sharing the findings. We will make sure you know what is coming up, when key decisions need to be made, and that we’re on track and on budget.
Step One - Info gathering
The first step is to get some initial information about your project, including the topic area, times-scales and budget.
Step Two - Briefing workshop
Next, we’ll arrange a workshop to discuss the project, and to make sure everyone is on the same page. We’ll ask questions to get a deeper knowledge of your priorities, think carefully about research questions, who needs to be engaged, as well as the input we need from you and your team at different stages.
Step Three - Final research plan
We will make any final tweaks to the research plan for you to sign off. This will include a detailed table setting out the research questions, methods and approach to analysis, as well as a timetable of key milestones including the fieldwork, data analysis, early findings and the final report.
It will also include a pack of research resources including interview and facilitation guides, consent, demographics and data protection forms.
Step Four - Fieldwork
Our small, dedicated team of researchers will get to work on engaging people in the research through in-depth interviews, focus groups and participatory research sessions.
We will invite you to participate in some of these sessions, and will keep you informed about progress, so you can see the care and attention that goes into the work that we do.
Step Five - Data capture and analysis
Once the fieldwork is underway we will carefully record the information we have gathered, and will start to develop a coding framework using specialist data analysis software to draw out recurring themes, as well as powerful, illustrative stories that will be written up as case studies.
We will share the early findings and case studies with you in the form of a draft report.
We will ask for your feedback and input to improve the report, as well as some photographs and other images to illustrate it.
Step Six - Final report and launch
Finally, we will integrate your changes and produce an accessible and beautifully designed report for print or the web, that will set out the background, methods, findings and conclusions of the research.
We will help you to publicise the results of the research, and make sure that everyone who needs to can access and celebrate it. We will help distribute the findings through our networks, and will present the findings at events and conferences.
If there’s a celebration event, seminar, launch or party we would love to be there!
Latest projects
We designed and delivered a bespoke training course in PAR for academics at LJMU.
ExploreStation was an ambitious public engagement programme designed to shape the future of small-to-medium sized stations in England.
Written for the RIBA, this piece of guidance sets out the principles of good community engagement for architects.
Commissioned by Tower Hamlets Public Health, this participatory research project explores community perspectives on cancer screening.
We worked with the Design Council to develop an Impact Framework for the Charity, alongside a toolkit of methods.
We worked with the British Council to research the opportunities, barriers, and impacts of internationalism in the UK.
We worked with Howard Miller Design on a community mapping project for the ‘A High Line for London’ green infrastructure competition.
We trained a team of local people to undertake research into knowledge and attitudes towards Diabetes Type Two in Tower Hamlets.
How can old paintings be made more relevant to our lives today? We worked with Dulwich Picture Gallery to find out …
This peer researcher project explored the experiences of refugee women in accessing information and services in the UK.
This study evaluates shared ownership housing – government sponsored part-buy/part-rent schemes designed to help people to get a foot onto the housing ladder.
We worked with the Participatory Practitioners for Change network to develop a set of ethical standards for participatory research.