About Us

At the evaluation lab, we believe that meaningful data and thoughtful inquiry drive better decisions, stronger outcomes, and lasting impact. Our work is grounded in clarity, integrity, and practical insight—helping organisations understand their effectiveness and shape what comes next.  We deliver robust, high-quality research planning, data collection, analysis, and reporting that drive meaningful change. Whether you need support with an individual component or an entire project, our experience serving the education, healthcare, and a wide range of other sectors nationwide enables us to help organisations enhance performance, demonstrate impact, and make informed strategic decisions.

led by experience and insight

Emma Church, founder of the evaluation lab, is an experienced evaluator and partnership manager with over 15 years of expertise in research and evaluation, specialising in Higher Education and widening participation. She holds an MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics from the University of Manchester and a BA (Hons) in Sociology from Manchester Metropolitan University. Emma combines strong analytical skills with practical experience in survey design, focus groups, statistical analysis, and data interpretation to deliver robust, actionable insights.

Before founding the evaluation lab, Emma served as Partnership Manager at EMWPREP (2011–2025), leading a team to support monitoring, evaluation, and targeting of widening participation initiatives across Higher Education institutions. She managed bespoke databases, developed research projects to assess programme impact, oversaw sensitive data management policies in line with GDPR, and delivered evaluation training to partners. Emma also represented EMWPREP at national conferences, committees, and working groups.

Her earlier experience includes working as Research and Evaluation Coordinator for Aimhigher East Midlands and as a Research Assistant at Manchester Metropolitan University, gaining hands-on expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, focus groups, data analysis, and reporting. Emma has authored several publications and book chapters, and frequently presents at national conferences and training courses, including NEON, FACE, and HELOA.

what we do

With extensive experience in research and evaluation, we deliver robust, high-quality research planning, data collection, analysis, and reporting that drive meaningful change. Whether you need support with a single component or a full-scale evaluation, we tailor our approach to your goals and context.

Our expertise spans education, healthcare, and other sectors nationwide, enabling us to help organisations:

• Enhance performance
• Demonstrate impact
• Understand their audiences
• Make informed, strategic decisions

our approach

We work collaboratively to design evaluation processes that are rigorous yet practical. Through thoughtful methodology, clear interpretation, and actionable recommendations, we translate data into insight—and insight into action.

the evaluation lab: your partner in research, evaluation, and insight