About
The aim of the research carried out by MMC was to help Nexus, the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (TWPTE), shape the future North East Transport Plan by achieving a consensus between key stakeholders – North East Local Authority Leaders and Chief Executives.
The Work
We designed a qualitative research protocol that was loosely based on Delphi methodology. We held in-depth, semi-structured interviews with the Local Authority Leaders and Chief Executives, with the aim of understanding their opinions on the state of transport currently in the North East, how they thought the future transport plan should be shaped, and any barriers they thought the plan may face.
The research culminated in a workshop with the Local Authority Leaders. We presented our findings to them and we encouraged a discussion of these findings in order to achieve a universal agreement about the future transport plan so it could be implemented. We also produced a report and analysis, which detailed the findings and the implementation plan, to ensure the development of the transport plan could go ahead quickly and effectively. Additionally, we presented the findings the Nexus, and gave opportunities for clarification and further discussion.
Results
The project highlighted MMC’s ability to work well with a large variety of senior level professionals, integrate into complex organisations quickly, effectively implement a variety of research methods, and communicate complex research findings in a way that can be understood and that can be used to implement change within an organisation and region.