Our research and reflections on practice

Research and innovation partnerships in the humanitarian sector (2019)

Elrha is global charity that finds solutions to complex humanitarian problems through research and innovation. In 2019, it commissioned REL to research and write reviews exploring the opportunities and challenges of partnerships in two areas of its work: humanitarian innovation, and academic-practitioner research on health in humanitarian crises.

Partnerships Review: Humanitarian Innovation Fund 
(Report, Elhra; Kate Newman, 2019)

Partnerships Review: Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises 
(Report, Elhra; Kate Bingley, 2019)

Women's economic empowerment in Sierra Leone (2019)

Using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with men and women, this study explores women’s economic empowerment and health decision-making in rural Sierra Leone. It is an output from a collaborative research partnership between REL, Christian Aid programme and advisory staff in Sierra Leone and Kenya, and academics from Sierra Leone and the UK.

Women's economic empowerment and health related decision-making in rural Sierra Leone 
(Journal article, Culture, Health & Sexuality; Hilary Cornish, Helen Walls, Rachel Ndirangu, Nanlop Ogbureke, Osman M. Bah, Joanna Favour Tom-Kargbo, Mattia Dimoh  and Meghna Ranganathan, 2019)

Gender and tax in Africa (2019)

REL and Christian Aid Nigeria collaborated in this study, part of the Gender and Tax in Africa research programme of the the International Centre for Tax and Development at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, with support from the Gates Foundation.

Hidden inequalities: tax challenges of market women in Enugu and Kaduna states, Nigeria
(Working Paper, International Centre for Tax and Development; Imaobong Akpan and Kas Sempere, 2019)

Fair and equitable research partnerships (2018)

We are members of the Rethinking Research Collaborative, an informal international network of organisations which encourages inclusive, responsive collaborations to produce useful and accessible international development research. The Collaborative undertook a study of research partnerships, funded by UKRI and published in 2018, which introduces eight principles for fair and equitable research partnerships. Two subsequent journal articles build on the themes identified in the study.

Promoting fair and equitable research partnerships to respond to global challenges 
(Report, Rethinking Research Collaborative, 2018)

Rethinking research impact through principles for fair and equitable partnerships 
(Article, IDS Bulletin; Kate Newman, Sowmyaa Bharadwaj and Jude Fransman, 2019)

Rethinking research partnerships: evidence and the politics of participation in research partnerships for international development 
(Article, Journal of International Development; Jude Fransman and Kate Newman, 2019)

Impact of governance programming (2015)

As we were laying the foundations for REL, we commissioned a multi-country impact assessment of Christian Aid’s governance programming. We wanted to gather insights and learning on our programming approaches, and to generate evidence of impact using creative methods. The findings were published as reports and videos.

Stand strong: women and politics, Kailahun, Sierra Leone 
(Report, Siobhan Warrington and Jane Martin, 2016)

Final report of a learning assessment of the health governance programme, Kenya 
(Report, Fiona Talcott and Abena Afari, 2015)

Accountable governance: assessment of impact and learning in Bangladesh 
(Report, Fiona Talcott and Vera Scholz, 2015)

El Salvador: building community capacity 
(Video documentary (9:58), Robert Stern and Rupert Widdicombe, 2015)

Claiming spaces: culture and power in Guatemala 
(Video documentary (9:31), Robert Stern and Rupert Widdicombe, 2015)