Making sense of what matters

Research and evaluation to help organisations in health, education and social care understand what’s working, what isn’t, and why.

Susie Donnelly Research (SDR)

I’m Dr Susie Donnelly, an independent research and evaluation consultant with 15+ years of experience working across academic and applied settings in health, education and social care.

My clients include public sector bodies, health and social care services, universities, and community and voluntary organisations across Ireland and the UK.

My work focuses on making sense of how things operate in practice. I draw on qualitative, participatory and mixed methods approaches to understand not just what is happening, but why.

I bring a combination of rigour and pragmatism to each research project, with a strong focus on producing clear, useful insights that can inform policy, promote learning and support meaningful change.

Feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss how I can help.

How can I help?

young adults engaged in group discussion

Independent Evaluation

I work with organisations to design and deliver a full independent evaluation of their service or programme. I deliver evaluations from start to finish, including evaluation design, desktop review, data collection, analysis, reporting and recommendations. I draw from participatory approaches, creative methods and implementation science. I employ methods that will best capture the voices of the people a service or programme is intended to reach, and that strengthen collaboration and buy-in to the development of the service.

Suitable for: organisations planning an evaluation, or told by a funder that they need one, at any stage from initial scoping to full delivery

Evaluation Support

For organisations with their own evaluation capacity or a team already underway, who want external expertise at key points, whether that is reviewing a plan, a second opinion on methods, or acting as a critical friend as the work progresses.

Suitable for: organisations with an in house team or existing evaluation underway

Research and Data Analysis

I take qualitative or mixed methods data you have already collected, through surveys, feedback forms, interviews, workshops or other means, and turn it into clear findings and insights that can be used independently or incorporated into a wider research report, evaluation or action plan for your organisation.

Suitable for: organisations confident in their data collection but without the time, skills or capacity to analyse it in house

Training and Facilitation

I support organisations to build their own research and evaluation capability, including facilitating workshops and training in evaluation, qualitative and participatory methods.

Suitable for: organisations developing their evaluation skills and knowledge and putting them into practice

MORE about services

How do I work?

Evaluation that explains, not just measures

I go beyond counting outputs to understand how and why change happens — or doesn’t. My evaluations are designed to be useful as a process of learning and reflection from the start, not just at the end.

Research grounded in context and empathy

Every organisation operates under particular pressures, with particular people, in a particular place. My research takes that seriously, using methods that surface what’s going on from all stakeholders perspective.

Collaborative approach to create change

I use participatory and collaborative methods to listen to each stakeholder group and give weight to their experiences. I strive to ensure their perspectives shape the research and actions arising from it, and they are not just a token feature of it.

Bespoke service

SDR is a small, independent consultancy. That means you get senior expertise on every project — not a junior team working to a brief I’ve signed off from a distance. Quality and research integrity are core to SDR. I achieve this by working in a focused way with select clients.