Applied research for policy, services and places

Alisha’s research practice begins with the question an organisation or community needs to answer. Her work combines policy and literature review, service information, stakeholder interviews, workshops and attention to local conditions. The purpose is to make the evidence usable: what does it suggest, whose experience is missing, what are the limits, and which options can the organisation act on?

At Maribyrnong, Alisha’s translating-and-interpreting service review combined research, service data and staff and stakeholder workshops to examine language access and opportunities to improve delivery. She translated findings into a report, presentations and policy recommendations. Her gender-impact-analysis work involved researching, designing and piloting a tool, then evaluating participant feedback to develop implementation recommendations. These projects connect inquiry with organisational learning and change.

At Merri-bek, Alisha brought community, housing and service-system evidence into homelessness strategy and implementation planning. Her community-wellbeing work connected health and demographic information with priorities, indicators and organisational advice. She also helped develop a research partnership with Deakin University alongside Council colleagues on healthier food options in community and sporting facilities. This brought an academic partnership into a practical municipal-health setting.

Alisha presented to a Housing@RMIT gathering on what the homelessness sector can teach us about developing affordable housing. The presentation connected community practice with questions about design, ongoing relationships, governance and lived experience. She has also contributed to RMIT Interior Design through guest teaching, assessment and an industry advisory role. These are practitioner contributions to teaching and exchange.

Soft Infrastructure can support evidence and policy reviews, community-needs analysis, service mapping, qualitative interviews, facilitated research conversations and evaluation design. The scope is shaped around the question, the people involved and the decision required. Outputs can include a research brief, findings report, options and recommendations, an evidence-informed action framework or a presentation for organisational decision-makers.

Site observation and conversations with users, staff and partners can reveal how a facility works in practice: access, use, support needs and organisational processes. This perspective helps connect planning and design decisions with the people and services around a place.