Recent Projects

Community Needs Assessment, Clutha District

The research for Clutha Development explored wellbeing needs, strengths and challenges, and service gaps and needs across the district and its distinct geographic, cultural and age-based communities.

Project Lead for major qualitative research regarding Young People and Pornography for Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office, under subcontract to The Collaborative Trust for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development, 2019-2020

This project, the qualitative follow-up to a large-scale quantitative survey of 14-17-year-old New Zealanders, involved in-depth interviews with 52 14-17-year-olds from throughout the country, with interviews conducted by Sarah and by a team of young researchers trained and supported by Sarah and the Collaborative Trust’s research manager.

Gold Award Winner 2022: ESOMAR Research Effectiveness Awards (REA), the
global data, research and insights industry award.

NZ Dynata Supreme Award 2021 Winner: Social, Community and Not For Profit Category (Platinum) 2021.

Colmar Brunton, The Collaborative Trust and The Classification Office Te Mana Whakaatu were awarded the Dynata Supreme Award at the 2021 Research Association Effectiveness Awards (RAEAWARDS) for the three-part NZ Youth and Porn research series: NZ Youth and Porn (2018), Breaking Down Porn (2019) and Growing up with Porn (2020). 
 
The judges were unanimous in giving this research the top award:
“They found a way through careful design and execution and thoughtful engagement across multiple stakeholders to tackle this taboo and help make a difference for generations to come. Generating global exposure, this research is already a case study that will have a far-reaching impact.” 
 
The RAEAWARDS are held every two years by Research Association New Zealand (RANZ) – the industry body dedicated to professional providers and users of research and insights: www.researchassociation.org.nz.

The project has attained international acclaim, and underpinned a recent advertising campaign by the Department of Internal Affairs and work reviewing the health education curriculum and creating resources for parents. You can read the report here.

School-Based Health Service Enhancement Project: Workforce Development

Working with colleagues from The Collaborative Trust for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development, Sarah supported SYHPANZ in developing the school-based health service workforce through exciting research.

Social Impact Assessment of Class 4 Gambling, Wairarapa (South Wairarapa Masterton and Carterton District Councils), Westland District

This research for the respective Councils presented the research and legislative context regarding pokies and TAB venues in their communities and across Aotearoa New Zealand, drew together both quantitative and qualitative data around current gambling behaviours and gambling-related harm in the district, and helped inform future policy.

Action Focused Service Mapping Research – tamariki and rangatahi 0-18 years and their whānau in Hurunui and Waimakariri: Research for Community Wellbeing North Canterbury Trust funded by Oranga Tamariki Partnering for Outcomes 2021

Sarah led this project and drew in the quantitative skills of Nicola Morton. Utilising in-depth scoping and a collaborative approach, this newly completed project identified service gaps and recommended additional services and approaches best-placed to meet the wellbeing needs of whānau across communities with a wide geographic spread.

Covid-19 Welfare Recovery Research for Ashburton District: Caring for Communities Welfare Recovery Group, Safer Mid Canterbury, 2020
Ashburton’s Covid-19 Welfare Recovery Group wanted to take an evidence-based approach to developing their recovery plan for the district, and the research was executed over a tight timeframe to enable this to occur, gathering data from a wide range of informants to identify and prioritise community wellbeing needs.

South Island research Lead on the Ngā Haerenga research project – a three-year longitudinal qualitative research exploring experience of transition from Oranga Tamariki Care, for Oranga Tamariki and under sub-contract to The Collaborative Trust for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development, 2020-2022
This project involves engagement with young people as they age out of the care of Oranga Tamariki and transition towards independent adulthood and gathering their stories of transition, their goals, aspirations, strengths and challenges via a series of interviews.

Project Lead – Development of Outcomes Framework for Cholmondeley Children’s Centre, under sub-contract to The Collaborative for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development 2018
A programme logic model was developed in strong collaboration with all Cholmondeley staff, and from this a full suite of data collection tools and approaches were developed for the Centre to evidence its practice. The emphasis was on meaningful data collection and useable, meaningful monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

Other projects undertaken over the past four years include:

  • Research exploring wellbeing, resilience and recovery needs in Mackenzie District, MDC
  • Family social wellbeing profile and response, Selwyn District, SDC

  • Research exploring needs and opportunities around the business community of Belfast, Northwood and Redwood, Belfast Community Network

  • Evaluation of Rowley Resource Centre

  • Feasibility study: Hoon Hay Community Centre

  • Research exploring Covid-19 response experiences and perceptions of societal value of older adults among socially isolated older adults in Christchurch and implications for community providers

  • Policy development – Selwyn District Council

  • Evaluation of the Youth Transition Project delivered by YCD

  • National evaluation of Youth Week for Ara Taiohi (sub-contracted by The Collaborative Trust for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development)

  • Development of community profiles for suburbs within Coastal Burwood Ward Areas, Christchurch City

  • Funding advisory support for Selwyn’s new library Te Ara Ātea

  • Play Insights research for the community of Belfast

  • Feasibility study into supported accommodation provision for young people post-release from Youth Unit, Christchurch Prison, St John of God Waipuna

  • Community needs analysis of Richmond, Christchurch City Council

  • Evaluation of The Loft

  • Older adults needs analysis for Greater Linwood community, Christchurch City Council

  • Capacity Building for Beneficiaries Advisory Service under sub-contract to NFP Works

  • Preparation of Safety Snapshot, Safer Ashburton

  • Evaluation of Primary Project, Cross Over Trust

  • Qualitative data collection to inform development of Economic Development Strategy for Selwyn District Council

  • Preparation of Community Wellbeing Strategy for Selwyn District Council, in collaboration with Matthew Pratt

  • Project Lead – Research exploring disclosure of mental health crisis via social media, for Zeal and under sub-contract to The Collaborative for Research and Training in Youth Health and Development

  • Feasibility study exploring future users of Pūkeko Centre community facility and Parklands Community Centre recreation space, Prepared jointly for Pūkeko Centre and Coastal-Burwood team, Christchurch City Council

  • Development of Theory of Change Model for Alternative Education in Canterbury, for Te Ora Hou under sub-contract to The Collaborative for Research and training in Youth Health and Development

  • Evaluation of a parent – child attachment intervention in a refuge setting, Home and Family Society

  • Older Persons’ Needs Analysis of the Papanui-Innes Ward Area of Christchurch. Christchurch City Council

GENERAL ENQUIRIES