Research, evidence and learning (REL)

What we do

International development research and evidence often lacks the participation of southern practitioners who work directly with communities living in poverty, and the views of those communities themselves. We aim to change that.

We work:

in partnership to create spaces for southern knowledge
for communities, and those living in poverty, to be involved in the generation of research and evidence relevant to them
to produce and support high-quality ethical research and evidence on poverty, to contribute new approaches to tackling and eradicating it
to guide evidence use and learning, and strengthen technical knowledge related to research, evidence, impact and engagement. This is through online materials, tools and training courses
to influence wider debates in the development sector, to improve how programmes and policy work is designed and delivered

Doing research ethically: a guide

Our guide and toolkit aims to help NGO staff, partners and consultants to conduct research and evaluation in an ethical way.

Read the guidance

Image of the cover of the report Doing research ethically — An interview taking place in the village of Nyamdehun Bessima, Sierra Leone. - **Photo: Tom Pilston/Christian Aid**

South African women embracing — Two activists embrace in KwaMashu, an informal settlement north of Durban, South Africa. - **Photo Credit: Simon Hutchinson, Irish Methodist World Development & Relief**

Learning from working in partnership

These Christian Aid reports share learning from decades of close collaboration with local and national organisations in Angola, Brazil, Ghana, Guatemala, South Africa and the Philippines.

Find out more

Research projects

We're supporting research projects in a number of countries, and related to a range of themes:

Building alternatives is a project gathering evidence to build a feminist agroecological model in Brazil
The Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development (ECID) project aims to reduce poverty, realise rights and improve the well-being of the most marginalised in Myanmar, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

Read about 'Building alternatives' Read about the ECID project