Mixed Method Research

Children and Young People

Choose Play Evaluation Work for East Lothian Play Association (ELPA)

• Evaluation of Play Ranger Sessions (2024): Play Ranger sessions provide a free drop in and play provision across East Lothian. The evaluation focused on the 2023-24 financial year, and sought feedback on four expected outcomes/targets. Management and monitoring data was reviewed, an online survey of paretns/carers was conducted, and session visits were employed to speak with children and their parents/carers. A focus group was also held with the Play Ranger staff. 
• Evaluation Framework Design (2024): The development of an overarching evalution framework to guide all future data gathering and evaluation work conducted by ELPA. The framework ensured a focus on key targets and performance indicators. 

Schools' Theatre, Drama and Dance Engagement Research (2021-22) for Imaginate

An online survey and case study interviews into the use of Theatre, Dance and Drama in schools. Feedback was gathered from schools and nurseries, artists, and arts organisations to understand experiences of these programmes and to identify learning and areas of good practice. The report can be accessed here. 

Equalities

Socio-Economic Duty Research: Scotland (2018) for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

The work focused on understanding the impact of socio-economic clauses contained across four pieces of existing legislation, and sought to idenitfy any learning ahead of the introduction of the Scottish Government's Fairer Scotland Duty. A telephone survey of public bodies was conducted, along with semi-structured interviews with regulatory bodies, inspection bodies, Parliamentarians, and Scottish Government departments. The final report can be accessed here. 

Stakeholder Research (2020) for the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland

This work sought to understand the views and experiences of both professional and non-professional service users regarding various elements of the Mental Welfare Commission's work/services. An online survey (with optional paper-based and Easy Read versions) was used, along with follow-up depth interviews and a national stakeholder event. The final report can be accessed here. 

Justice

Decision Making on Bail and Remand in Scotland (2020-2023) for the Scottish Government - with KSO Research

The overall aim of this research was to explore how decision making works in practice, as well as to gather perceptions on bail options. The work involved surveys and interviews with members of the judiciary and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), as well as interviews with solicitors and criminal justice social workers. The final report can be accessed here. 

Establishing Unit Costs for Criminal Justice Social Work Services across Scotland (2014-15) for the Scottish Government

This involved both top-down and bottom-up methodologies to establish the unit cost associated with the delivery of criminal justice social work services provided by all local authorities across Scotland. This involved depth interviews with local authority criminal justice social work teams for the two strands of the work, as well as the collection and analysis of detailed spend data, output data, establishing typical tasks and staff time inputs, etc. 

Transport

Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme for Transport Scotland 

• Baseline Research (2021-22): Conducted before the Free Bus Pass was launched. This involved analysis of secondary data and a national online survey of young people and parents/carers to understand travel behaviours, attitudes towards and experiences of bus travel, and intention to use the free bus pass. Over 17,000 responses were received, with the data weighted to be representative of the relevant age groups. 
• Year One Evaluation (2023): The work involved four strands, (a) a national follow-up survey of young people and their parents/carers to establish travel patterns, use and impact of the bus pass (over 10,000 responses were received), (b) a series of online focus groups with young people, parents/carers, and other bus users, (c) an online consultation survey with professional stakeholders, and (d) a review of secondary data. The research identified the extent to which the scheme was meeting its aims and expected outcomes, as well as challenges and unexpected consequences. 

Evaluations of Active Travel and Road Safety Initiatives for Transport Scotland

• Evaluation of Transport Scotland's Active Travel Programme for Schools (2020-21) - with KSO Research: Online surveys of all schools and local authorities, plus a series of interviews with delivery partners and a selection of case study schools. 
• Evaluation of Road Safety Scotland's Theatre in Education Performances (2018-19) - with KSO Research: Interviews with teachers and local authority education/road safety staff, and pre- and post-performance questionnaires and interactive focus groups with audience members.
• Evaluation of Road Safety Scotland's Learning Resources (2017) - with KSO Research: Telephone interviews with all local authorities, survey of teachers, workshops for Road Safety Officers (RSOs) and other community partners, and case study interviews in schools.