I work with statutory agencies, government departments, health and social care services, and community and voluntary organisations, mainly in Ireland, to design and deliver research and evaluation that is rigorous, practical, and useful.
Below are the main types of work I do. If you are not sure what you need, get in touch and we can work it out together.
Qualitative & mixed methods research I design and deliver qualitative research — interviews, focus groups, case studies, and participatory approaches — to explore how programmes work, why they succeed or struggle, what they mean to the people involved. Where useful, I complement this with survey work or analysis of administrative data to build a fuller picture. Particularly suited to: process evaluations, implementation studies, and research involving staff, service users, or community perspectives.
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. Whether you’re evaluating a pilot, a long-running programme, or a national policy, I can help you interpret complex evidence, communicate it clearly to stakeholders, and produce recommendations that are grounded and actionable. Suitable for: statutory agencies, government departments, and funded programmes across health, education, and social care.
Participatory and arts-based research I use participatory approaches to collaborate with people directly in the research process, not just as respondents. This matters most when the experiences of those most affected by a service or policy are seldom captured through conventional research, including communities who face literacy or communication barriers, children and young people, and other groups who are typically underrepresented in research or whose lived epxereince is difficult to capture using traditional methods. Photovoice is one of my core methods in this area. Participants use photography to document their own lives and communicate what can be difficult to put into words, with findings presented back to the people and institutions with the power to act on them, as well as to the wider public to raise awareness. I have used Photovoice in health, social care, and community settings, and can support organisations to design and deliver projects from start to finish, including ethics, training, facilitation, and public exhibition. Arts-based and participatory methods can be used alongside standard research and evaluation approaches to deepen and enrich the work. Particularly valuable for: research involving seldom-included groups; children and young people; communities with literacy or communication challenges; to capture everyday lived expereince in real-world settings; public engagement initiatives.
Facilitation I facilitate workshops, focus groups, and strategic planning processes, from Theory of Change development to creative workshops— that help teams and organisations think clearly together. I bring a research sensibility to facilitation providing structure, purpose, and rigour. Suitable for: organisations developing or reviewing their strategy, theory of change, or evaluation approach.
Literature and evidence reviews I design and deliver literature and evidence reviews, from rapid evidence assessments to more in-depth systematic approaches, to help organisations understand what is already known before designing a programme, making a policy decision, or commissioning new research. Suitable for: government departments, statutory agencies, funded programmes, and any organisation wanting to build on existing evidence rather than start from scratch
Training and capacity building I support organisations to build their own research and evaluation capability — through training, coaching, and practical tools. This includes helping teams set up systems for self-evaluation, develop internal monitoring approaches, and feel more confident gathering and analysing data and using evidence in their work. Suitable for: charities, community organisations, in-house teams new to research and evaluation
Research consultancy and advisory support Sometimes you need a “critical friend” or thought partner more than a full research project. I offer advisory support to organisations developing research capacity, reviewing existing approaches, or navigating complex evaluation questions. I can also help with scoping, refining, and drafting tenders for research and consultancy contracts. Suitable for: in-house research teams, managers commissioning research for the first time, organisations preparing to go to tender
Susie Donnelly Research 