Dr Gráinne McMahon: Academic Activist, Independent Researcher
sociologist, researcher, campaigner, activist
research, evaluation, campaigning consultancy
I offer a range of research and evaluation, campaigning management and research, and policy-focused consultancy services.
I am committed to social justice, advocacy, activism, and shared academic inquiry and participatory methods of research and evaluation; this ethos runs through all of my research and evaluation, and campaigning and activism, work. I utilise and apply the following approaches:
o participatory action research, co-creation and co-production methodologies
o academic research and evaluation
o programme and initiative research, development and evaluation
o policy-focused research and evaluation
o theory of change in programme/ campaign evaluation
o ‘theory of change’/ activist learning, social justice and social movements work
o rapid/ systemic reviews of literature
I have developed and applied a robust, bespoke and critical research and evaluation framework to capture learning, development and change in third-sector and community/ charity work. The theory examines process and impact outcomes (‘theory of change’) to explore learning about process and impact outcomes at individual, group, community and political levels to understand personal and group experiences and gains, and to inform campaigning/ programme/ initiative development, group and community work and action, and political and social (policy) change. In addition to offering my expertise in applying conventional theories of change to research, evaluation and learning, I apply this model to participatory and co-created research projects and project/ initiative evaluations.
Academic research and evaluation
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Third-sector/ communityresearch and evaluation
I have considerable expertise and experience in conducting research and evaluation in academic contexts in the following fields:
o support, advocacy, and empowerment work with marginalised young people
o human rights activism, migration and campaigning
o young people’s social, political and civic participation
o feminism and feminist activism
o activism and social movements in the public sphere
o democracy and re-making democracy
o youth offending, desistance and social justice
I am very well-regarded in my areas of work and have several publications and activities from my work, and specialise in applying theory of change models to community and third sector research and evaluation work.
Developing third-sector/ community research and campaigning
I have a strong background in research and campaigning in the third and community/ charity sector, especially in migrant and refugee rights campaigning and activism, feminist and women’s rights campaigning and activism, and support, advocacy, and empowerment work with marginalised young people, using participatory action research, co-creation and co-production methodologies, and including:
o programme and initiative research, development and evaluation
o theory of change programme/ campaign evaluation
o policy-focused intervention learning and analysis
I have applied a bespoke critical research and evaluation framework (‘theory of change’) that I have developed to work in the third-sector several times to capture learning and change.
Research-focused campaigning and campaigning-focused research in the third-sector
I have led or been part of a number of number of campaigns in the community and charity sector. I am skilled at organising and developing campaigns from initial ideas through to national networks of activists and organisers, using participatory action research, co-creation and co-production methodologies.
I have worked on research-focused campaigns (where a research project becomes the basis of or strongly informs a new campaign) and campaign-focused research (where learning from and development of a campaign is evaluated utilising a critical research and evaluation framework) that captures process and impact outcomes across a number of levels.
Policy-focused research/ evaluation and campaigning
I have a considerable international and national/ regional experience in policy-focused research and evaluation in academic and third-sector/ community contexts, most notably in the context of young people’s social and political participation, migrant and refugee rights campaigning and activism, feminist and women’s rights campaigning and activism, and support, advocacy, and empowerment work with marginalised young people.
I have applied the critical research and evaluation framework (‘theory of change’) above to policy-focused work several times to capture learning and change, as well as conventional theories of change.
Medical-and health-focused writing
I have been commissioned to contribute to bid-writing for health-related work, and to undertake medical writing (e.g. consensus documents) for the NHS and professional bodies.
All of my work adheres to the code of conduct and ethical guidelines set out by the British Sociological Association.
Dr Gráinne McMahon: Research Consultant, Academic Activist 