MATTER OF FOCUS - Key Persons
Alex studied English at Edinburgh Napier University, graduating in 2012, and has an ongoing interest in literature and the arts. He has worked creatively in a wide variety of forms, producing short films, novels, podcasts, music and blogs.
Prior to joining us, Alex volunteered for various charities in administrative and retail roles and worked in digital communications for Pilton Community Health Project and Edinburgh Community Health Forum (ECHF); both organisations have been using OutNav to evidence their contribution to reducing health inequalities in Edinburgh. (Read more about this work)
While working with ECHF, Alex particularly enjoyed his experience collaborating with us on a report detailing the vital contribution of Edinburgh charities to the Covid-19 response. He is excited to join us and help us share more important stories about the amazing work of our OutNav Community members.
Job Titles:
- Head of Finance & Operations
Allan oversees all aspects of our finances and ensures we have the knowledge and infrastructure in place to meet our aims of sustainable growth in line with our values.
Having supported our finance management on a part-time basis while also working for ASH Scotland, Allan joined the Matter of Focus team in this full-time role in July 2020.
Charlie has 12 years' communications experience within the higher education sector, working at The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, and most recently at the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships.
Charlie has a keen eye for detail and is passionate about ensuring that content makes sense for its target audience: She is a strong advocate for clear and concise communication, across all channels and platforms.
Charlie first developed her interest in online content management through the Human Computer Interaction component of her undergraduate Psychology degree and then a Master's degree in Multimedia Information Technology. She has project managed the development of a number of new websites and content management systems and has extensive experience in coordinating and training networks of content contributors.
Charlie also has experience in print production, event management and press liaison.
Craig has nearly 20 years' experience working as a front end developer in a variety of different industries including start-ups, government funded projects and large corporations.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Leader
- Co - Directors
Ailsa is a leader in the field of outcomes. Through her research and work with policy and practice, Ailsa has made a significant contribution to shifting the focus of public services in Scotland towards the outcomes that are important to citizens and communities. She has done this through:
Research into the outcomes important to people who use services; the practice of outcome measurement and recording and the use of outcomes focused approaches across public services.
Leading pioneering improvement programmes bringing organisations together to develop and improve practice in focusing on outcomes at programme, personal and population levels. Working with policy makers to ensure a focus on outcomes is supported by policy.
Leading training and capacity building to understand and use evidence for outcomes.
Evaluating innovative outcomes focused services and programmes using theory-based approaches to evaluation, particularly contribution analysis.
Ailsa is a co-originator of the Talking Points Personal Outcomes Approach, now used across thousands of organisations in Scotland and beyond.
Audrey's background and interests are multi-disciplinary and methods-focused, having spent time in the academic and public sectors in fields ranging from economic policy analysis to COVID-19 vaccine research to co-production of public health programmes.
She is passionate about working across disciplines and methods to answer questions that matter most to stakeholders and clients. Her enthusiasm for evaluation sits alongside her expertise in programme development and co-production, having completed her PhD at The University of Edinburgh for her research in public health intervention development and evaluation.
Job Titles:
- Senior Evaluation Consultant
Kelly brings substantial experience working across the UK, with a career spanning academia and the third and private sectors as an evaluation, impact, and research specialist. For the past ten years, Kelly's work focused on the health and social care sector, gaining experience as commissioner and supplier that provides her with a greater understanding of public service providers' needs and strategic priorities and challenges.
Kelly joined Matter of Focus in August 2023 after working as an Associate Director of Health Evaluation and Advisory at Ipsos UK and as Evaluation and Impact Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support. Before these roles, she worked at the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships at the University of Edinburgh on various projects, including reviewing scaling innovations for the What Works Scotland initiative.
Primarily working on the evaluations of complex programmes and projects, Kelly is well-experienced in mixed method research, developing and adapting theories of change, and advising on the use of evidence and its implications. Strategic partnerships and cross-sector collaboration are some of what Kelly enjoys most, alongside helping others to better understand their impact to improve decision-making.
Sarah is internationally recognised for her work in developing innovative approaches to ensure that decision-makers have access to the best evidence for taking organisations, policies and practices forward. She has done this through:
creating channels for getting research into the real world (at the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships)
broadening understanding of the interaction between research, policy and practice (through work with UNICEF, What Work Scotland and other research); and
working alongside organisations to use evidence for improving services for the families and communities they serve (with Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Starcatchers, The Scottish Book Trust, Shelter Scotland and others).
Sarah has pioneered a participatory approach to using contribution analysis to understand and achieve outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Principal Evaluation Consultant
Simon brings extensive experience in the commissioning, delivery, and management of social and health research. He is recognised as a world leader in mental health improvement and research, most notably in relation to mental health recovery and peer support.
Simon also brings experience in relation to the development and evaluation of interventions, including expert knowledge in the development and evaluation of digital health interventions.
With a record of translating values and principles into policies and practices, most notably as the founding Director of the Scottish Recovery Network, Simon has worked throughout his career to ensure that outcomes are informed and improved through the authentic engagement of intended end beneficiaries.
Steve comes from a software engineering background, having worked in a range of sectors, from mineral processing to social care.
In 2010 he won the IT Innovator Award at the Great British Care Awards for his pioneering CRB checking system - one of the first such systems in the UK to securely electronically manage and speed up the process of Criminal Records Bureau (now known as DBS) checks in partnership with the Criminal Justice IT department.
Steve's experience in the areas of data security and solutions architecture are particularly relevant to the work he does with Matter of Focus.
Job Titles:
- Senior Evaluation Consultant
Grace brings extensive experience working within Scotland's third sector to her role at Matter of Focus. After graduating with a degree in Politics and Social Policy from The University of Edinburgh, she went on to work in the advice sector; supporting adults and children with learning disabilities to understand and secure their rights in relation to social security, housing, and social care.
Most recently Grace developed a passion for evaluation working for Evaluation Support Scotland, working closely with a wide range of organisations across Scotland's third sector and their funders to put in place systems to capture the difference their work makes, and learning for improvement.
Grace is both a self-confessed data geek, and committed to using simple, accessible language wherever possible.
Miriam has a background within Edinburgh's third sector, previously managing an outreach service for people experiencing homelessness. She has experience developing collaborative solutions to challenges within health, social care and housing.
Miriam has also worked as a community researcher with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, using a mixed-methods approach to capture Hartlepool's experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Miriam graduated with a Master's in Public Health from the University of Edinburgh in 2020, after completing a degree in sociology and politics. She is passionate about making evaluation simple and accessible, in a way that can benefit every organisation.