Richard Bridge

Personal statement:

I am an experienced Government Social Researcher that has worked across multiple quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Whilst currently I lead on a GMPP evaluation, my team also manages a number of social research projects that investigate a disparate area of interests linked to trees and forestry. Historically, my interests were primarily participatory qualitative work, my work within Government has covered flagship departmental surveys, evaluations and public attitude trackers. I have a specific interest in the evidence/policy nexus and how policy is made – as well as resisted by street-level bureaucrats.

Key topic areas of research or interest:

My social research has primarily been focussed on trees and forestry; primarily evaluation of the GMPP Tree Programme but I am particularly interested in better articulating the myriad of social benefits of woodland creation and management through the prism of tree (in)equity but also opening up a research space that allows the voices of marginalised groups to be heard and considered. Previously, I have commissioned and managed different mixed method projects relating to social security and its link to emergency food provision, both within and outside of Government.

Publications:

Incentivising early responses in a push-to-web survey: an experiment (Social Research Association)

Don’t panic, be persistent, remain curious (Social Research Association)

As public cuts leave people destitute, it’s charity workers like me who pick up the pieces (The Guardian)

The poor deserve better (The Church Times)

(PDF) From Welfare State to Welfare Society: a critical discourse of post-2010 social security policy (researchgate.net)

(PDF) The institutionalisation of emergency food provision: a danger to the social safety-net? (researchgate.net)

Led and published Nature for Climate Fund Stage 1 Evaluation – Science Search (defra.gov.uk)

Led and published Food and You 2 Wave 1 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)