Supporting change that's grounded in evidence and shaped with you
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Projects

I’m Sarah Alden (PhD). I bring together academic rigour, public sector service delivery and behavioural insight to help organisations understand what works, show impact, and make practical improvements. Over 15 years I’ve delivered 60+ projects and contributed to 100+ publications for public bodies, universities and charities.

Clients come back because they trust me to produce evidence that stands up to scrutiny and is useful in practice, whether that is shaping strategy, strengthening funding bids, or supporting national campaigns.

More about me

Research and Evaluation

Health, housing, digital inclusion, community connection, technology

Strategic Support and Service Reviews

Access, equity and impact for government, health, charities and local authorities

Learning and Facilitation

Technology adoption, behaviour change, co-production, peer research
Sarah has been one of IBA’s regular associates since 2019, often leading evaluations or research-based consultancy projects, as well as contributing to project teams…Sarah is a great collaborator and a safe pair of hands, managing to combine academic rigour with a down-to-earth style which successfully engages diverse people in research activities
Imogen BloodImogen Blood and Associates
I've worked with Sarah on a number of co-production and research projects... Sarah is a great person to collaborate with as she brings new ideas, a range of excellent skills and always delivers work of the very highest quality. She brings an awareness of current policy alongside a sound value base, working effectively and compassionately with vulnerable groups
Tony RyanEmeritus Professor
Sarah has worked with us as a freelance evaluator and it's been such a pleasure… I've been consistently impressed by Sarah's ability to give a framework to what we needed to do and when. She is comfortable working at all levels, engendering the trust of older people in small community groups and talking with authority when advising senior leaders…I wholeheartedly recommend Sarah... She would be a valuable asset to any team
Jo VolpeCEO
Sarah researched and authored our report on Realising the Potential of Housing Associations in Places and Communities. The report is accessible, well written, credible and has already had impact with stakeholders and politicians. Sarah was incredibly knowledgeable, easy to work with and responsive throughout the research and report writing process, and we are delighted with the end result.
Catherine RyderCEO Placeshapers
I have called on Sarah to provide additional research capacity for a range of digital inclusion projects - she can hit the ground running, handle tight deadlines and consistently delivers high quality outputs. She is also a great communicator... I would have no hesitation recommending Sarah
Dr Emma StoneGood Things Foundation
Sarah’s research on ‘technology enabled care’ is proving hugely important to the work of the TEC Action Alliance…[it has] managed to capture the main functions and benefits of TEC in a plain and structured language. Importantly, the research reached people from multiple communities and diverse backgrounds
Steve SadlerTech Services Association
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Sarah on a number of projects over the last few years and she is a brilliant researcher and collaborator. When it comes to understanding and making sense of complex subjects, Sarah has an incredible talent of bringing detail and insight together and communicating it in a way that helps everyone involved
Tim BrazierThrive by Design
Sincere thanks, you have done a tremendous job. It’s exactly what we wanted. Also the depth and grasp demonstrated by you is exemplary and I cannot think of anyone who could have done this better
Professor Alan WalkerUniversity of Sheffield
LOPF has worked with Sarah on a variety of grant funded programmes for a number of years. Sarah is now a key part of our small group of trusted independent evaluators and one of our go-to people for evaluation expertise Sarah excels at synthesizing complex information and is a joy to work with - she is friendly, personable and very professional
Lisa FearnLeeds Older Peoples Forum
I really enjoyed [the workshop], Sarah helped me feel at ease and I actually contributed something to the discussion, I am usually a bit shy. I also took away lots of food for thought and it gave me confidence – I realised that I don’t need lots of qualifications to make a difference
Debbie PeerLived Experience Researcher
Right from the start … Sarah worked closely with us to. Her significant experience really helped us to deliver a high quality evaluation… Her flexibility and enthusiasm for the work was like having an additional team member
Ali KayeLeeds Older Peoples Forum

Selected Projects

I’ve supported organisations to secure NHS and government investment, shaped strategies that tackle inequality across health, housing and care, developed digital tools for charities, influenced national tech campaigns, and informed policies on homelessness prevention.

See My Full Portfolio

Selection of My Clients