RESEARCH & EVIDENCE
Social & public policy research
Understand the people behind the policy. Public decisions depend on how people experience services, institutions and change. Investigate community needs, behaviours and barriers with a research design that considers participation, context and the practical use of findings.
Start with the decision you need to make.
Public decisions depend on how people experience services, institutions and change. Investigate community needs, behaviours and barriers with a research design that considers participation, context and the practical use of findings.
This service is for public institutions, development organizations, foundations, research teams and programme designers.
Questions the assignment can address
- Whose needs are being met, and whose experiences are missing?
- Which social, economic or institutional conditions influence behaviour?
- How do different groups experience the same service or intervention?
- Which findings can inform a practical policy or programme response?
How we approach the work
Combine document review, stakeholder interviews, community research and quantitative measures where they answer complementary questions. Plan accessible recruitment, language support and ethical participation. Interpret differences between groups in context, and be explicit about what the sample can represent.
Sensitive topics require careful decisions about who asks questions, how privacy is protected and whether participation could expose someone to harm. Those decisions belong in the methodology before recruitment. We agree escalation arrangements and any ethical review requirements with the commissioning organization.
What your team receives
The scope defines the exact output, format and review criteria for each deliverable. Depending on the assignment, these can include:
- Research framework and questions
- Stakeholder and participation plan
- Qualitative or quantitative instruments
- Thematic and statistical findings
- Policy or programme implications
From brief to delivery
Share the requirement, intended users, existing information, deadline and any procurement instructions. We clarify the decision the work must support and agree the methodology or technical approach before execution. The proposal sets out the scope, workplan, review points, responsibilities and commercial terms.
During delivery, questions and dependencies are made visible so your team can resolve the decisions that need client input. Quality checks are built into the assignment rather than saved for a final presentation. Handover explains how to use the outputs, the limitations that remain and any support included in the engagement.
Planning an international assignment
For work spanning countries or distributed teams, agree the geographic scope, working language, collaboration hours and access requirements at the outset. Research recruitment, local field access, hosting locations and data-transfer arrangements may affect the delivery plan. These are confirmed for the assignment; the availability of a service page does not imply a physical office in every market.
What to send with your enquiry
- The problem, intended decision and people who will use the output.
- Existing reports, instruments, datasets or system documentation that can be shared appropriately.
- Required deliverables, formats, deadline and review process.
- Location, languages, data-access constraints and procurement requirements.
- A budget range, if available, and whether support after handover is required.
Can this be commissioned as a standalone assignment?
Yes. The scope can cover a specific output or connect to a wider programme. Share the material you already have and the work still required; the proposal will distinguish included tasks from dependencies and optional support.
How are the timeline and budget determined?
They depend on the scope, methods, access, volumes and delivery requirements. Provide your deadline and any budget parameters with the brief so the initial review can identify feasible options and material trade-offs.
Who owns the outputs and working files?
Ownership, licensing, permitted reuse, confidentiality and handover formats are agreed in the engagement terms. Identify any requirements for source code, scripts, raw data or editable files during scoping.
Let’s get to work
What does your organization
need to get done?
Tell us the challenge, send the TOR or describe the outcome you need. We’ll help define the right research, data, AI or digital capability to move it forward.