The Community Research Programme (CRP) is a volunteer-led initiative by NACCOM that aims to put lived experience at the heart of research and advocacy for people seeking asylum, refugees, and migrants experiencing destitution.

Established in 2021, this year marks four years of the programme. During that time, it has evolved and developed in response to challenges and successes along the way. We took the opportunity to commission an evaluation to capture learning and establish a strong foundation for its next phase.

We asked Ana & Mishka (A&M) Consultancy, a partnership of two consultants with lived experience of the UK immigration and asylum system, to evaluate how effectively the CRP recruited and trained Community Researchers with lived experience; how sustainable the programme has been; and how it has influenced systemic change in policy and practice. Using document analysis, interviews, and focus groups – including perspectives of Community Researchers, NACCOM staff, and external partners – they produced a comprehensive assessment.

In our 2022–2026 Strategic Plan, a key goal states that “people with lived experience play a core and equitable role” in highlighting the human impact of destitution and shaping solutions. The CRP forms a crucial part of trying to achieve this goal, and we allocate dedicated resources towards it as well as funding a full-time facilitator post.

The evaluation asked:

  • Have the Community Researchers of the Community Research Programme been able to shape and lead the project, and do they feel their work is embedded in the wider work NACCOM does?
  • How successful has the programme been in providing development opportunities for volunteers?
  • What has been the wider impact of the work the programme has delivered and its influence on policy change?
  • How does NACCOM ensure the safety and well-being of volunteers with lived experience, as well as expenses and reimbursement procedures?

Findings

Organisational commitment

A&M found that the CRP has delivered “significant value to Community Researchers and the wider refugee sector”. They reported that we “recruited a dedicated cohort of volunteer Community Researchers with lived experience of destitution and asylum and empowered them through training to produce high-impact research”. Positive findings included the fact that “organisational commitment has been strong: NACCOM integrated the CRP into its core strategy… making the programme a sustainable pillar of the charity” which as well as the dedicated staff member, ensured continuity amid challenges like staff turnover or the COVID-19 pandemic.

Systemic changes

The evaluation also found that CRP’s work “has played a role in contributing to systemic changes”. For example, its research, alongside COMPAS, was cited as evidence in parliamentary inquiries and was used to improve local support for people with No Recourse to Public Funds. The Refused? report was NACCOM’s first major report led by Community Researchers, which describes experiences following a negative asylum decision and provides evidence that has informed NACCOM’s advocacy.

Personal growth

Community Researchers reported transformative personal growth. One Community Researcher described how the experience “built my confidence, and I learned how to speak to people, like public speaking… I can interview people… and conduct focus groups.” Participants became “advocates fighting for change”, improving their mental well-being in the process.

Echoing this, one of our Community Researchers, Nico Ndlovu, said: “Being involved in the Community Research Programme has been a learning experience. We have built confidence and learned skills such as conducting interviews and public speaking. We have also built a really strong team that works well together, and NACCOM have been really supportive throughout that process”.

Modelling meaningful co-production

A&M found that partners and stakeholders they interviewed “see the CRP as a model of meaningful co-production” which meant that NACCOM’s approach to involving Community Researchers in all stages “increases NACCOM’s credibility and accountability to the people it serves”

Areas for improvement

The evaluation identified some areas for improvement, such as “providing more advanced training (e.g. data analysis), enhancing support to address practical barriers and volunteer well-being”, and the “expansion of volunteer recruitment beyond England”.

Nico commented: “Doing this evaluation was really important because we got an opportunity to express ourselves and reflect on our experiences working together as a team. The evaluation captures what we have learned from four years of working together so we can how we can make improvements.”

Those improvements are:
  • NACCOM should strengthen well-being support and accessibility to create an inclusive environment where Community Researchers can thrive and remain involved longer, thereby maintaining the programme’s strength
  • NACCOM should invest in advanced skill-building for Community Researchers by implementing further training and development opportunities
  • NACCOM should enhance and diversify its pool of Community Researchers by implementing a proactive and comprehensive recruitment strategy
  • NACCOM should explore sustainable funding opportunities and succession planning to ensure the continuity of the CRP
  • NACCOM should continue to amplify policy influence and champion Lived-Experience Leadership in the migrant rights sector
  • NACCOM should create ongoing roles for Community Ambassadors in advisory, mentorship, and co-production to sustain their ongoing involvement.

Next steps

The NACCOM volunteers and staff team are now working to digest the findings and reflect on how we can further share and apply learning from four years of Community Research to the next phase of the programme. The current cohort of Community Research volunteers are now our “Community Ambassadors”, reflecting their desire to stay involved and the more diverse roles they will play in the organization going forward. We’re working together to decide exactly what these roles will entail, but inline with the evaluation’s recommendations, it’s likely to involve more advocacy, advising NACCOM and partners, potentially some media and spokesperson work, and supporting and mentoring any new volunteers.

Meanwhile, we’ll be using the recommendations to plan the next phase of the programme, ensuring we’re starting from a strong foundation when we look to recruit new volunteers in due course. As Nico put it: “Together have now established something really strong, learned a lot along the way, and this gives us a strong foundation to continue working together, and for any new volunteers who join NACCOM.” Watch this space!