The Research People assists humanitarian, climate and conservation organizations in leveraging technology and innovation for the benefit of communities and ecosystems.
Our rigorous research and evaluation services help organizations to address their most intractable problems and understand how to support more effective local responses.
Our approach is data-backed and influenced by local communities and on-the-ground experts. Together, we aspire to create a future where innovation serves as a catalyst for a more resilient, inclusive, and harmonious planet.
Our core values
RIGOUR
Through thoughtful research design, creative methods, and deep expertise
COURAGE
Through intellectual boldness, ethical integrity, and effective communication
SOLIDARITy
With people living through humanitarian emergencies and at the coalface of the climate crisis
HUMANITY
Through empathy, listening, and principled approaches
Great research is delivered through teams.
The Research People brings together diverse research teams across multiple backgrounds, disciplines, contexts, and languages for collaborative research and evaluation studies. In 2022-23, we worked with 46 researchers in thirteen countries. More than 50% of our team were from humanitarian contexts.
Lydia Tanner has led the team to deliver more than 80 research projects for NGOs and donors in more than 30 countries. She is interested in how innovation can foster social change and has worked with tens of innovators and innovation funds on monitoring and evaluating impact. She has also led frontline research on the humanitarian system, conservation, national NGO movements, technology and mobile, maternal and child health, and emergency education. Lydia has a PhD in computer science from Oxford.
