Penelope is Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor for IDS’ Impact and Learning Team. The Impact and Learning team (ILT) is interested in the people and technologies that mediate between research and policy/practice (we sometimes call these 'knowledge intermediaries' / 'knowledge brokers'), and in essence Penelope’s role is to test methods for evaluating the impact of these actors. Part funded by the MK4D programme, much of ILT's work is conducted through the projects and partnerships initiated by IDS Knowledge Services.

Some of Penelope's recent work with MK4D projects include evaluating face to face events, designing outcome mapping based M&E plans, and testing a process for facilitated self-evaluation. Some of her other work outside MK4D includes developing an indicator set for monitoring IDS-wide progress implementing our new strategy and working with 3ie to test the impact of research communications. Penelope is particularly interested in supporting individuals, project teams and organisations to build a culture of continuous improvement whereby they embed evaluative thinking and reflective practices in their day to day work.

Since graduating in Penelope has undertaken research and evaluation focused on a variety of social policy  issues; including New Zealand's labour market policy, UK pensions policy reform and a range of UK local children's services. Penelope has a Masters degree in Social Anthropology for which she conducted original research with a community of social activists in NZ from 2002-3. While primarily a qualitative evaluator, Penelope is committed to mixed-method evaluation design and is influenced by Realist and Utilisation-focused evaluation approaches (eg work of Michael Quinn-Patton) and the principles that underpin outcome mapping.