Our Services

We provide consultancy for responsible data initiatives, focusing on ethics, culture, and effective strategy.

Approaches to Data Ethics

Guiding organisations on ethical data use for positive societal outcomes and cultural transformation. Identification of current and future ethical risks and mitigations. Driving data governance practices that fit the organisational context.

Developing a Data Culture

Fostering a data-driven mindset within organisations to enhance collaboration and innovation. Engage with multiple levels of an organisation, using a variety of methods, to understand barriers and identify processes and behaviours that can build a productive data culture.

Tailored strategies for leveraging resources responsibly to achieve meaningful social impact. Bringing clarity to the unique factors that can be leveraged to deliver outcomes. Understanding routes to impact through best use of both data and skills.

Strategic Solutions

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Consultancy Projects

We would be delighted to talk more about specific requirements with potential clients who are similarly committed to delivering responsible outcomes with social purpose.

Ethical Partnership Guidelines

Forr Data partnered with YouthLink Scotland and the INCLUDE+ Network to design and deliver a six‑month, fellowship through a values‑led programme supporting the youth work sector to build ethical, confident partnerships with technology organisations. The result was a nationally launched set of guidance and decision‑making tools (link).

This case study demonstrates Forr Data’s ability to bridge policy, practice, and lived experience, turning sensitive, high‑stakes challenges into actionable frameworks that deliver real‑world impact across sectors.

Human-Centred Metadata Canvas

Forr Data was commissioned as part of an international collaboration by the Wellcome Trust, via Social Finance UK, to tackle a persistent challenge in mental health research: how to share qualitative, longitudinal data ethically without losing the human context that gives it meaning. Through a six‑month, participatory process, the collaboration co‑designed the Human‑Centred Metadata Canvas – a practical framework that helps researchers document the social, ethical, emotional and situational factors shaping qualitative mental health datasets, particularly open‑text data - openly available via OSF (link).

This case study showcases Forr Data’s strength in human‑centred design, ethical data governance and cross‑disciplinary facilitation – turning abstract values into concrete tools that improve trust, reuse and in high‑stakes research contexts.

Strategic re-design for a global data initiative

A project delivered by one of our team, alongside their work at Forr Data, was to develop a strategic proposal for UNICEF that reimagines the positioning of an existing global data initiative for its growth and ongoing success.

This project was delivered by Alex Hutchison in an independent capacity, and highlights the skills available at Forr Data to work at a system level, helping global institutions navigate complexity, balance power and risk, and design practical, future‑ready operating models that support turning values and responsible data practices into action at international scale.

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SOME RECENT CASE STUDIES

Forr Data is part of a collaborative learning partner team supporting evaluation and impact for the Early Relationship Fund with Elevate Great. We’re working alongside a cohort of 6 third sector organisations in Scotland, all delivering evidence-based parenting programmes.

Together we have developed a shared Theory of Change, convened peer learning to surface bright spots in practice, and facilitated action learning set-style sessions to help teams resolve live challenges. Through open and support participation, we bring in external speakers on topics prioritised by the cohort.

Impact and Evaluation Learning Partner

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Guest Faculty, Data Stewards Bootcamps

Forr Data delivers ad hoc lectures to international third and public sector bootcamp attendees on “Ethics and Value Propositions for a Data Collaborative”. This session explores responsible innovation in practice: anti-colonial approaches, ethical decision-making, and meaningful participation. The lecture also introduces a Theory of Change as a practical tool for clarifying value, aligning stakeholders, and building proportionate impact measurement into collaborative data work.