What we do.
We work with public bodies, international organisations, research institutions and civil society to understand complex problems, learn from their programmes, build their teams’ skills, and put evidence to use.
5 areas of work, shaped to each brief.
Every assignment is different. We put together a team of associates whose subject knowledge, methods and languages fit the question and the setting.
We design and carry out research on how policies and services work for the people they are meant to reach. We use interviews, focus groups, ethnography and surveys, choosing methods to fit the question, and involve participants in shaping the research where we can. Where it helps, we train client teams to continue the work themselves.
What we deliverEvaluation should help a programme improve, not just satisfy a reporting requirement. We help teams set out their theory of change, collect baseline data, and design monitoring that tells them what is working while there is still time to adjust. We also carry out mid-term and final evaluations.
What we deliverOur associates have designed and led training for teachers, frontline staff, young people, families and community organisations, including in conflict and displacement settings. We use participatory, dialogue-based methods that start from participants’ own experience, and adapt content and language to the setting. Training can stand alone or form part of a research or evaluation project, for example preparing local researchers for fieldwork, or helping a team collect and use its own monitoring data.
What we deliverOur associates have worked on child protection, inclusive education and community programmes in conflict and displacement settings. We advise organisations on programme design, safeguarding policy and practice, and on adapting international standards to local realities.
What we deliverResearch only helps if the right people can read and use it. We review existing evidence, and write policy briefs, summaries and practical guides for decision-makers and practitioners. We also run workshops and dialogues that bring researchers, practitioners and communities together, so that knowledge moves in both directions. Our associates provide academic and policy translation between Arabic and English, taking care that key concepts keep their meaning.
What we deliverWhere our associates’ experience lies.
These are the areas where our associates have worked for many years, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. As the network grows, so will this list.