Research

You would be surprised to hear many decisions are made without research, on a hunch, or even with outdated data. This in itself presents a risk. To make sure your organisation is fit for current and future sustainability trends, you sometimes need to get your hands dirty to understand what is happening below the surface. It is important to take an assessment to understand where you are, make changes, and track your progress.

Research can take place in many forms including:

Feasibility studies

A feasibility study is an early study of a proposed project. As a lot of time and effort can go into a project, it is important to establish if it is ‘feasible’ to go ahead with such a project or plan. A feasibility study is often conducted where there is an element of change. For example, is it feasible to build the new university building on the other side of the city in relation to carbon emissions?

We conduct well-designed feasibility studies looking at the finer details. Our feasibility studies provide an unbiased, objective assessment of the practicality and technicalities of a proposal plan, method, or project with the primary question: “is this feasible?”.

Each feasibility study is unique and requires bespoke factors to be considered. It is vital to get the feasibility study right as it becomes the foundation upon which the rest of your project is based upon. The feasibility study considers the practicalities and technical aspects at an early stage to avoid implementing decisions that would have long-term adverse effects.

Primary research

We are a dab hand in primary research including surveys, interviews, case studies, and focus groups. Primary research can provide a solid foundation to make decisions and progress forward.

We are able to implement a research project the organisation already has designed e.g. a survey, or propose a tailored project to fulfil the need. What do you need to know? We can help you find out.

A research project can be stand alone or part of a larger study/initiative. Research has become a vital part of the journey to sustainability. In order to move towards a sustainable society, we need to understand where we are in order to move to where we need to be. Without research, organisations are left making risky decisions without solid understanding/insight. Insights can, for example, help design sustainable products and services, or even support you to respond in uncertain circumstances such as Covid-19.

Secondary/desktop research

Secondary/desk research involves collecting data from existing resources; hence it is often considered a cost-effective technique as compared to primary research. We can provide this service through a range of means including document analysis, review of the current literature, and even policy research. At times this can be a blend of a few different types.

Our research service is holistic and flexible. We are able to blend a variety of techniques, for example for a project, review or evaluation. We are able to build our research findings into reports or summaries to support decision making. Our researchers are highly skilled and passionate about research and sustainability.