Policy strategy, service design, and evaluation

We use both qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the social and human context that policy is being developed for. This helps policy makers to build a picture of the potential impact and make informed choices about implementation.

A blend of qualitative and ethnographic methodologies allow us to get beyond surface level, top of mind needs and motivations. Enabling us to develop a deep empathy towards the situation of the audience. This provides a rich foundation upon which products, services and policies can be designed.

We are experts in conducting research with hard-to-reach populations. Our in-house cultural insights practice (mahinga maramatanga ahurea) are experts at understanding cultural perspectives and incorporating tikanga and te ao Māori at every stage of the research process. As well as our in-house Māori and Pacific expertise, we work collaboratively with our cultural community partners to extend reach and insight.

Our segmentation approach combines rigorous quantitative analysis with a nuanced understanding of audience drivers and behavioural patterns. This enables us to identify and characterise population segments that reveal rich insights about behaviours and attitudes. Our action-oriented outputs provide a basis for well-targeted interventions and communications that can close the gap between intentions and actions.

Our public participation practitioners are skilled at designing processes that enable public participation in democratic processes and decision making. From processes to inform practical decision making at a local government level to informing major policy decisions within central government, our deliberative toolkit ensures the people affected have the opportunity to shape decisions.

By drawing on our suite of observational and ethnographic methodologies, we can build a detailed picture of the user experience at different stages. Our approach provides clarity on the moments of meaning, the frustrating frictions and the key opportunities to intervene for better outcomes.

Developing a detailed understanding of the behavioural or altitudinal shifts we are seeking to drive is the critical first step in our concept testing approach. By being clear on these behavioural and attitudinal objectives, we can get beyond a simple assessment of what the audience ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ about a concept and instead focus on what matters – the ability of the concept to create change.

Co-creation is a valuable tool for developing products and services that truly meet the needs of the user. However, care must be taken to leave space for technical and design experts to ensure the resultant products and services are effective and feasible. Our iterative approach blends co-creation phases with design sprints to ensure we maximise the value that each perspective brings.

The ability of the public sector to act is often influenced by a diverse network of stakeholders. Understanding the perspectives and needs of these stakeholders can be crucial to ensure effective implementation of policies and services. We are experts in establishing the neutrality and building the trust required to surface candid responses from stakeholder networks.

Robust, proportionate and practical evaluation is essential for understanding how a policy and services deliver public value. We work with clients to develop a logic model upon which the evaluation can be based, providing a focused and tangible basis for research and evidence generation. This allows us to provide the evidence and advice to enhance the effectiveness of policies, programmes and interventions.

Assessing value for money is critical to ensuring limited public resources are used effectively. We draw on a range of data sources to enable budget impact and cost effectiveness analysis for interventions and public services, applying methodologies that take into consideration the broader economic and societal impacts.