Welcome to Reid-Howie Associates research and evaluation consultancy. We specialise in all forms of public and social policy research and evaluation. We were established in 1994 and have been expanding and developing since. We can offer a range of high quality research and evaluation services to meet your needs. We have well-qualified and professional staff with a background in academic research, as well as previous professional experience in central and local government.

Policy areas

RHA research and evaluation carries out work in a variety of policy areas, such as:

• Equality (including gender, race, disability, LGBT issues and work with older people).
• Criminal justice (including offending / re-offending; evaluation of criminal justice projects; victims and witnesses; prisons and prisoners; community safety; and violence against women).
• Health and mental health.
• Social care services.
• Childcare, children and young people and issues for parents.
• Funding.
• Housing.
• Transport.
• Economic development and labour market issues.

Current and former clients

Our clients have been as diverse as our projects. We have worked for both very large and very small clients in the public and voluntary sectors. Our clients include:

National and international statutory and voluntary organisations such as:

• The Scottish Government.
• Scottish Parliament.
• Scottish Prison Service.
• Home Office.
• Council of Europe.
• Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Commission for Racial Equality.
• Disability Rights Commission.
• Funding organisations (Big Lottery, Voluntary Action Fund, the Robertson Trust, Arts and Business in Scotland).
• National voluntary organisations.

Local statutory and voluntary organisations, such as:

• Local authorities and departments.
• Local Enterprise Companies.
• Local voluntary organisations.
• Community Safety Partnerships.
• Violence Against Women Partnerships.
• Police forces.

For a complete list of our current and former clients, and summaries of the types of work we have undertaken, click previous clients.

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Types of work

We work regularly with public sector and voluntary sector organisations, and the work we have undertaken has been varied and wide ranging, and includes:

• Exploratory research to inform policy developments.
• Scoping work / development of ideas (e.g. prior to a funding application).
• Evaluation of services and particular initiatives.
• Analysis of responses to consultation exercises.
• Service audits.
• Best value reviews.
• Literature reviews.
• Development of strategies (e.g. domestic abuse strategies, equality strategies).
• Examination of specific policy issues.

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Research skills and methods

We can offer research expertise in a range of research methods and we carry out all of the following (often in combination):

• Examination of documentary evidence and statistics.
• Literature reviews.
• Face to face interviewing (including in-depth interviews on a range of issues).
• Telephone interviewing.
• Large scale interviewing (e.g. street surveys).
• Postal surveys.
• Observation.
• Focus groups and group discussions.
• Analysis of statistics.
• Analysis of qualitative material.
• Report writing.

For more information about the services we offer, click "services offered by RHA"

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Key principles

Reid-Howie Associates was established in 1994 and has been run on the basis of a core set of principles which underpin the approach of the company:

• To provide a high quality research and evaluation service which matches or exceeds the level specified in any tender, particularly in terms of outputs, deadlines and attention to detail;
• To provide a value-for-money service at rates which are reasonable;
• To work only in areas within the current knowledge of the directors and staff, and never knowingly misrepresent the work which Reid-Howie Associates can competently undertake;
• To meet the needs of the client at all times.

We take these principles very seriously. The level of repeat business which we have gained is very high, and covers clients from the whole spectrum of those for whom we have worked.

All of our work includes a strong focus on equalities issues. We are aware of the barriers which are faced by equalities groups and the impact of discrimination and inequality. We recognise the importance of including identification of issues affecting particular groups in the research which we do. We also recognise the importance of including the views of equalities groups in our work.

We also recognise the central importance of the views of service users in any assessment of service provision.

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Contact us

We are based at 156, High Street, Burntisland, KY3 9AP. Our telephone number is 01592 873900. You can email us at info@rhassoc.co.uk. For further contact details and a map of how to find us, click "contact us" in the toolbar at the foot of the page.

Terms and conditions of business

To view our terms and conditions of business, click "terms and conditions of business" .

Equality policy

To view our equality policy, click "equality policy" .

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