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Capability note
Research and Analysis
Independent research for decisions that cannot be taken on assumption
Organisations commission research for one of two reasons: a decision has to be taken and the evidence is not there, or a position has to be defended and it will not hold without evidence. Both require work that is methodologically sound, transparent about its limits, and produced by someone with no interest in the conclusion.
This note sets out the research problems we are asked to address, the forms of research we conduct, and what a client receives.
Capability note
Research and Analysis
Problems we are asked to address
01
Decisions resting on assumption
A significant commitment — a new programme, a partnership, an entry into an unfamiliar context — is about to be made on the basis of anecdote, second-hand reporting, or an assessment that is several years old.
02
Internal capacity absorbed by operations
The organisation has the knowledge but not the time. Research that requires sustained attention is repeatedly postponed, or produced quickly and consequently not used.
03
Work that must withstand external scrutiny
The output will be published, submitted to a funder, cited in a policy process, or relied upon by a third party. It therefore has to meet a standard of method and sourcing that internal reporting does not.
04
Restricted or politically constrained access
Direct access to a context is limited, unsafe, or would itself distort what is observed. The question remains legitimate and has to be answered by other means.
05
Research that described rather than informed
A previous study produced an accurate account of a situation and no basis for acting on it. The organisation does not need more description.
06
Conflicting assessments with no way to adjudicate
Different sources, partners or internal units give different accounts of the same situation, and the organisation has no independent basis on which to resolve the difference.
Forms of research we conduct
Commissioned research
Research conducted to a client’s question, under a defined scope and methodology. Findings are the client’s property and remain confidential unless the client decides otherwise.
Research to academic standards
Studies conducted according to recognised academic methodology, where the work will be published or will face external scrutiny. Authorship, publication rights and research ethics requirements are agreed in writing before work begins.
Research based on publicly available sources
Systematic collection and analysis of information in the public domain, used where primary access is restricted or where independent verification is required. The methodology and the limits of what it can establish are stated in the output.
Policy research and strategic review
Analysis of a policy question, a regulatory environment, or an institutional strategy, with options and their implications set out for decision.
Institutional assessment and evaluation
Independent assessment of an organisation, programme or partnership against defined criteria, including funder and regulatory requirements.
Context, risk and feasibility analysis
Assessment of an operating environment, the risks attached to a course of action, and whether a proposed intervention is feasible as designed.
What a client receives
A research report with findings, analysis and a methodology annex stating sources, method and limitations
an evidence or literature review
a policy paper with options and implications
a context or risk assessment
an evaluation report
briefing notes for decision-makers
negotiation support paper: parties, interests and options
source logs and, where applicable, the underlying data
Every output states what is established, what is inferred, and what the research could not determine. Where the evidence does not support a conclusion the client expected, the report says so. Research that is written towards a predetermined finding has no value to the person relying on it.
How we work
The question comes first. A research mandate begins by establishing precisely what decision the research is intended to inform, because that determines the method and the scope. Research commissioned without that definition tends to produce volume rather than an answer.
Methodology is agreed in writing before work begins, together with sourcing standards and, where relevant, research ethics requirements. Ownership of findings, publication rights and attribution are settled at the same stage rather than at delivery.
Where a mandate requires specialised or regionally grounded knowledge, we engage experts from our network under the same confidentiality obligations that bind the practice. The practice remains accountable for the final output.
Analysis mandates involving confidentiality or operating-environment sensitivity are accepted selectively, according to the requirements of the mandate.
How to begin
An initial confidential discussion to define the question, establish whether research is the right instrument, and determine what scope would be proportionate. There is no cost and no obligation attached to it.
If there is a basis to proceed, we set out a written mandate with the research question, methodology, deliverables, timeline and fee. No work begins before it is agreed.
