Research

From its inception, The Cresco Trust has placed particular emphasis on the importance of research in helping the organisation achieve its objectives. This is noteworthy given that The Cresco Trust is essentially a social enterprise which operates at grassroots level in pursuing its social mission aimed at assisting those most disaffected within our society. Given the strong practical nature to the activities undertaken by the organisation, it could be perceived that research is unimportant in this context. It is testament however, to the visionary leadership spearheading the organisation which sees that research remains a critical aspect of the work of Cresco.

The research function at The Cresco Trust ensures that the project-work and social enterprises in which we engage remain relevant, effective and fit-for-purpose in meeting the needs of those most marginalised within our society and assisting them towards labour market integration. The collection and analysis of data allows us to make informed decisions on the efficacy of any given intervention and gives us leverage when undertaking lobbying or when seeking to generate income streams. Robust research methods mean that we can remain at the forefront in meeting our organisational development needs and those of our target group, as well as building quality into our systems and processes as a business. This is further facilitated through a strong element of monitoring and evaluation being built into the research function.