In environments where information is contested, incomplete, and sometimes deliberately obscured, the quality of your research determines the quality of every decision that follows. We draw on deep networks of local researchers, civil society actors, community leaders, and subject-matter specialists to gather primary data that no desk review can replicate. Our mixed-methods approach blends qualitative fieldwork with social network mapping, political economy analysis, open-source intelligence, and geospatial data. Everything is layered and triangulated so that our clients always know exactly how much confidence to place in what we find. We do not just deliver findings. We translate them into focused, actionable recommendations that shape policy and operations.

Areas of work

• Primary field research and data collection
• Political economy and conflict analysis
• Social network and actor mapping
• Open-source and social media analysis
• Geospatial and remote sensing data
• All-source integrated analysis

Strategy in fragile environments is not a document you write once. It is a living process of reading the context, identifying pathways for impact, and adapting when the operating environment changes. We support clients at every stage of the programme lifecycle: helping them design realistic, evidence-based strategies at the outset; stress-testing assumptions during delivery; and managing transitions, handovers, and exit with the same rigour applied at entry. We help clients identify the stakeholders who can catalyse change, map the risks and opportunities that others miss, and make decisions with confidence even when certainty is in short supply.

Areas of work

• Programme and strategy design
• Context and risk analysis
• Stakeholder identification and engagement
• Programme adaptation and course correction
• Entry, delivery, and exit support
• Cost-benefit and risk-reward analysis

Genuine capacity development is not a training course delivered and forgotten. It is a sustained, iterative process of organisational change that requires honest assessment of where an institution currently stands, co-designed solutions that fit the local context, and continued engagement through implementation. We bring together management, operational, and analytical expertise drawn from relief, development, government, and commercial backgrounds to design and deliver programmes that are bespoke, scalable, and culturally grounded. We work closely with both donors and recipient institutions to align priorities, measure change, and ensure that what we build endures long after we leave.

Areas of work

• Organisational and institutional assessments
• Bespoke training design and delivery
• Leadership and management development
• Institutional development and reform
• Technology and systems capacity building
• Knowledge transfer and sustainability planning

We design and implement MEL systems that generate credible, usable evidence rather than data that sits in a spreadsheet and satisfies a log frame. Our frameworks blend quantitative metrics with qualitative narratives of change, capturing not just what happened but why, and for whom. We bring experience across the full spectrum: from theory of change development and baseline studies to portfolio-wide evaluations, third-party verification, and real-time adaptive monitoring. In every assignment, we focus on rigour, transparency, and end-user needs, ensuring that the evidence we produce actually informs the decisions it was designed to support.

Areas of work

• Theory of change and MEL framework design
• Baseline, midline and endline evaluations
• Third-party verification and monitoring
• MERL system design and implementation
• Strategic reviews and portfolio evaluations
• Learning systems and knowledge management

Stabilisation and peacebuilding in the Horn of Africa demand more than technical expertise. They require a nuanced understanding of local power dynamics, historical grievances, and the fragile relationships between communities, armed actors, and the state. We support governments, bilateral donors, and multilateral agencies in designing and delivering programmes that are conflict-sensitive, locally owned, and built for the long term. Our work spans countering violent extremism, security sector reform, community safety, and reconciliation, always grounded in primary research and always attentive to the do-no-harm imperative.

Areas of work

• Conflict-sensitive programme design
• Countering violent extremism (CVE)
• Security sector reform support
• Community safety and reconciliation
• Do-no-harm assessment and integration
• Stabilisation programme evaluation

The most rigorous analysis loses its value if it cannot be communicated clearly. We help clients translate complex technical findings into narratives that resonate with donors, policymakers, and the public without sacrificing accuracy or nuance. Our communications work is always rooted in evidence: we do not spin, we clarify. From donor reporting and policy briefs to programme documentation and stakeholder engagement strategies, we help organisations articulate their results, sustain financial and political support, and contribute meaningfully to the broader policy conversation on peace and development in the Horn of Africa.

Areas of work

• Results reporting and dissemination
• Policy briefs and research summaries
• Donor reporting and accountability
• Stakeholder communication strategies
• Programme documentation
• Public affairs and media advisory