We’re inviting you to join us for our first Compass Briefing! From 12.00 -12.45 on 14th July, we'll be sharing our recent research to understand the role of nostalgia and optimism bias in shaping declining trust in our institutions. Our speakers Tom Clarkson and Georgina Campbell invite you to join them as they explore: The macro-trends shaping recent political upheaval in the UK – which have led us to the brink of a fifth Prime Minister in the last four years The rise of

The newly formed Navigator team recently met in the historic surroundings of York’s Guildhall. This was the first time the Navigators had met in person following the merger of Navigator’s component parts – Blue Marble Research, Pye Tait Consulting and Qa Research, so much to talk about and share! Now a team of 50, Navigator delivers major research and evaluation programmes right across public and private sectors with particular strengths in utilities, business & skills, educa

In May 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a market investigation into veterinary services for household pets, in response to growing concerns around pricing and transparency in the sector. As part of its evidence base, the CMA conducted a large-scale Vet Users Survey with pet owners in late 2024. These insights informed a series of working papers, including the Remedies Working Paper, which outlined potential consumer-facing remedies. To support furthe

To aid development of a ‘Water Strategy’ (seeking to deliver a sustainable and resilient water environment for the future) the Environment Agency (EA) commissioned research to inform this work. The study aimed to understand how the public interacts with the water environment and to gather views, opinions, preferences and current concerns relating to all things water related (including flooding). The research utilised a range of data collection methods, with an online access

For almost 30 years tranquillity has been recognised as a significant asset of our landscape, now embedded in the National Planning Policy Framework and used in planning decisions. However, in the 20 years since CPRE and Natural England reviewed this map, much has changed: the digital revolution; greater environmental awareness, economic squeeze, COVID, working from home, and so on. So, do we value tranquillity differently today? We relished the challenge, designing an innova

The Environment Agency (EA) aims to build a nation of people who understand their risk to flooding and coastal change, know their responsibilities and how to take action. The annual Public Flood Survey (carried out by us in 202/21, 2021/22 and 2024) seeks to track key measures related to flood awareness, and a key objective of the latest survey in 2024 was to provide insight to help drive usage of digital services. Prior to 2024 surveying was primarily undertaken over the t

The Danish Job Rotation (JR) model centres on temporarily removing from the workplace and providing training for low skilled workers, whilst simultaneously providing in-work experience and vocational training for unemployed people who act as de facto substitutes. In September 2024, WMCA commissioned us to conduct an independent process and impact evaluation of the Job Rotation Pilot in the Coventry area, up to its conclusion at the end of March 2025. The evaluation sought to

In 2019 the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) commissioned us to undertake their Levy Payer Satisfaction Survey (LPSS), which we have done annually ever since, and as AHDB’s single supplier for levy payer satisfaction surveys of levy payers and stakeholders, this will continue through the next strategy period up to 2030. Now branded the Customer Insight Measure (CIM), the aim is to gather data on the service provided by AHDB and to understand the importanc

Unlocking Innovative Potential is a UKRI-funded project led by Innovation Growth Lab (IGL, based at Nesta and the Barcelona School of Economics) to evaluate barriers to innovation in the UK. As part of this, Innovation Growth Lab has worked with Catalyst, an independent, non-profit science and technology hub in Belfast and Derry-Londonderry to develop Hello Possible, a pilot programme designed to introduce adults across Northern Ireland to Bill Aulet’s Disciplined Entrepreneu

As part of the government’s Gear Change strategy, which aims for half of all journeys in towns and cities to be cycled or walked by 2030, the Department for Transport has funded the Making Cycling E-asier pilot scheme, delivered by Cycling UK. The scheme offered free training sessions and free one-month e-cycle loans to encourage people to consider using e-cycles as an everyday travel option. Specialist transport consultancy Steer led the evaluation of the scheme, and we were

Magic Breakfast is a charity that delivers healthy breakfast food and provides expert advice to schools in the UK, to support children at risk of hunger with fuel for learning at the start of the school day. Whilst the charity had undertaken research with partner schools, a gap in knowledge was pupils’ and parents’ perspectives of school breakfast provision and experiences of poverty and hunger. We were commissioned to conduct a national piece of multi-method research to gath

In recent years, public opinion regarding the utilisation of patient data within the NHS has become a salient topic, particularly following the suspension of key health data initiatives due to insufficient public support. While various studies have explored public perceptions of patient data usage in the NHS, there was a notable gap in research focusing specifically on the use of patient data for planning and population health. Understanding Patient Data, an independent initi