Making sense of what matters

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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 Ireland and beyond.

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 support your work and add value to your organisation.

How can I help?

Qualitative research

I design and deliver qualitative research — interviews, focus groups, case studies, and ethnographic approaches — to explore experience, process, and context in depth. Particularly valuable where numbers alone won’t answer the questions that matter most. Suitable for: any organisation needing rich, contextual evidence to inform decisions

Participatory and creative methods

I use participatory approaches — including Photovoice and creative methods — to centre the voices of the people most affected by a service or programme. Particularly valuable where traditional methods risk missing what matters most. Suitable for: community organisations, charities, services working with marginalised populations

Policy and programme evaluation

I design and deliver evaluations that go beyond what happened to explain how and why — drawing on qualitative methods with a focus on process evaluation and implementation outcomes. Whether you’re evaluating a pilot, a long-running programme, or a national policy, I can help you make sense of the evidence and use it constructively. Suitable for: statutory agencies, government departments, funded programmes, health and social care services

Training and facilitation

I support organisations to build their own research and evaluation capability — through training, coaching, and practical tools. I facilitate workshops, focus groups, and strategic planning processes that help teams and organisations think clearly together. Suitable for: organisations developing or reviewing their theory of change, or evaluation approach, in-house teams new to research and evaluation, or teams interested in training on methods to build capacity and learning

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 really 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.

A bespoke and dedicated 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 intergrity are core to SDR. I achieve this by working in a focused way with select clients.