Tag Archive for: Meet the Team

Meet the Team – Kate

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Meet Kate – The Calm-in-the-Storm Project Officer Who Gets Things Done

If you’ve ever wondered how our evaluation projects glide along so smoothly, meet Kate Dixon – one of our brilliant Project Officers here at The Evaluator. With her sharp eye for detail, calm presence, and can-do spirit, Kate’s the person you want in your corner when there are deadlines to meet, people to engage, and reports to deliver.

Kate brings nearly a decade of hands-on experience in project management, compliance, and audit – particularly in the world of community-funded initiatives. She’s a whizz when it comes to making sure projects are not just well-intentioned, but well-run. Whether she’s wrangling data, coordinating activities, or quietly making sure everything is above board and ticking along, Kate always has her sleeves rolled up and her mind tuned into the bigger picture.

What really sets Kate apart, though, is her mix of empathy and efficiency. She’s incredibly good at building trust – with funders, partners, and community participants alike. From crafting thoughtful case studies to carrying out interviews or managing complex compliance tasks, she brings heart and head to everything she does. She’s also trained as a Team Leader and Teaching Assistant, so she knows how to communicate clearly, adapt to any situation, and get the best out of people – whether it’s a stakeholder meeting or a one-to-one conversation with a participant.

Her skillset is wide (and growing!) – from GDPR compliance and data interpretation, to report writing, resilience, and relationship-building. But perhaps the best way to describe Kate is that she’s a problem-solver. She figures things out, she smooths out the wrinkles, and she gets the job done – always with integrity, warmth and a touch of understated brilliance.

We’re lucky to have her – and if you work with us, you’ll soon see why.

Meet the Team – Nadia

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Meet Nadia – Our Energetic Intern with an Eye for Detail and a Knack for Data (and Vintage Fashion!)

Say hello to Nadia Chaudhry – our Evaluation Intern and one of the most dynamic people you’re likely to meet. Currently studying Business Economics at the University of Liverpool, Nadia somehow manages to combine academic rigour, real-world experience, and entrepreneurial flair – all while keeping a sense of style (seriously, her 5-star-rated Depop shop is a thing of beauty).

Nadia joined The Evaluator to deepen her experience in research, data analysis and project work – and she’s already proven herself to be thoughtful, reliable and full of initiative. Her background includes policy research with Pendle Borough Council, supporting economic and environmental improvement strategies, and she’s no stranger to briefings, spreadsheets, or a well-placed data visual. She’s also got serious digital skills – whether she’s designing infographics or pulling insights from a pile of survey responses.

But what makes Nadia stand out isn’t just her brain (though scoring 87% in econometrics is no small feat!). It’s her energy, her adaptability, and her genuine interest in how data can be used to tell stories, influence change, and make projects stronger. She’s as comfortable analysing a funding model as she is hosting events or managing a customer-facing project. That versatility makes her an asset to every evaluation team she supports.

At The Evaluator, we love working with people who figure things out, who ask smart questions, and who bring curiosity and creativity to every task. Nadia does all of that – with warmth, professionalism, and a real passion for sustainability and impact. We can’t wait to see where her talents take her next – but for now, we’re glad she’s part of our team.

Meet the Team – Kirsty

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Meet Kirsty – The Evaluator’s Big Picture Thinker, Data Detective, and All-Round Fixer

If you’ve ever worked with The Evaluator, chances are you’ve come across our founder and director, Kirsty Rose Parker. And if you haven’t yet – here’s your chance to get to know the woman who makes data dance, who turns tricky problems into elegant solutions, and who’s been quietly transforming how projects understand and show their impact for over 25 years.

Kirsty set up The Evaluator in 2017, but she brought with her a big suitcase of skills: from project management and evaluation, to communication, strategy, and storytelling with numbers. With an MA in Economics from the University of Edinburgh, she’s as comfortable building social return models as she is running a creative workshop – and she’s especially passionate about making sure that data is actually useful, not just gathered for the sake of it. Over the years, she’s worked across the arts, charities, public sector, and health, bringing insight and structure to projects that range from cultural hubs and climate programmes to dementia support and wellbeing initiatives.

Before founding The Evaluator, Kirsty led some huge transformation projects. As Arts Development Manager, she grew a tiny department with a shoestring budget into a thriving, multi-strand team delivering large-scale events, mental health programmes, and town centre regeneration projects. As ACE Centre Manager, she helped launch a major cultural venue from the ground up – recruiting staff, shaping the building, designing business plans, and opening the doors to over 80,000 visitors in the first year. She’s worked with councils, creatives, health commissioners and community groups alike – and has always brought the same energy: curious, kind, clever, and committed to making things better.

As a qualified Social Return on Investment analyst, Kirsty also knows how to pin down value where it counts. Her approach is never just about ticking boxes – it’s about genuinely figuring out what’s working, what’s changing, and why it matters. She’s endlessly creative, loves a good negotiation, and has a knack for spotting opportunities that others might miss. She’s also a friendly face, brilliant with project participants, and passionate about making evaluation simple, meaningful, and even (dare we say it) enjoyable.

At heart, Kirsty believes that everyone – from grassroots volunteers to senior stakeholders – deserves to see the impact of their work clearly. And she’s built The Evaluator around that belief. If you ask her what she does, she’ll say, “We figure it out for you.” And that’s exactly what she does.