For over 10 years, Lianne Sarson has been helping leaders and organizations in Atlantic Canada achieve goals and increase effectiveness through client focused research and consulting. Lianne received her M.Sc. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Saint Mary’s University and has expertise in research design and management, qualitative analysis, facilitation, organizational development and consultation. Lianne is a member of the Canadian Evaluation Society and has worked with large and small businesses, government organizations and not-for-profits throughout the Atlantic Provinces. Lianne is a passionate advocate for evidence-based practice and understands the importance of incorporating the unique culture and needs of each client in creating solutions that work.

Allison is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in project management, research, evaluation, analysis, and reporting. She specializes in program evaluation, industry analyses, and labour market research and regularly works with provincial government clients, educational institutions, non-profits, and private businesses. Allison’s approach is to work with clients to gain an understanding of what they need to know and design a project centered on gathering that key intel to make insightful and impactful decisions.

As a senior consultant, she routinely manages complex projects that involve a combination of secondary and primary research, detailed analysis, and powerful insights and recommendations for clients. Much of her work focuses on needs assessment, whether that be part of a formal evaluation or in the broader context of a research initiative. Allison uses her research and evaluation skillset to help clients by gathering intelligence to improve programs, take advantage of growth opportunities, and make better decisions.

Highlights of Allison’s experience include:

 Over 30 labour market and industry analyses for post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada across a wide variety of industries as part of program reviews or needs assessment studies.
 Review of Jobs for Youth program for the Government of Prince Edward Island to assess program processes and provide recommendations for improving program delivery and assessing performance.
 Research, consultation, and strategy work such as the Aquaculture Recruitment and Retention Strategy for the Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA).
 Market intelligence for Perennia Food & Agriculture Inc. to assess current state, projected need, and identify any gaps and opportunities to deliver professional support services in key sectors.

Allison is a Credentialed Evaluator (CE) and President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of the Canadian Evaluation Society. The CE is a professional designation provided by the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) to evaluators who have demonstrated that they have the skills, knowledge, and experience identified by the CES as necessary for a competent evaluator. Becoming a Credentialed Evaluator (CE) is a rigorous process; there are only six evaluators in NL with the CE designation and less than 50 across Atlantic Canada.

Allison also has a Bachelor of Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a Master of Science from the University of Alberta, both in Psychology. She is the co-author of four academic papers in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics.

At MQO, Jonathan is primarily responsible for ensuring data quality standards and conducting advanced statistical analysis. Jonathan has an extensive background in statistics, and is responsible for sample management of client data, developing weighting systems, and conducting statistical analysis. He is highly skilled in using SPSS for statistical analysis, and his experience ranges from simple statistics to complex analytical techniques (e.g., multiple regression; factor analysis), including the development of customer service models for MQO major clients. Jonathan plays an integral role in the development of sampling and analysis plans. Jonathan graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Science (Major in Statistics).

David is involved in every stage of the research process from planning and designing questionnaires to report writing and overall project management. He works in direct contact with the Field Operations and Data Analysis Unit to coordinate recruitment and data collection for clients. David has over seven years of experience in market and tourism research and also has graduate-level education in research design and statistical analysis through completion of a Masters Degree in Psychology from Memorial University.

Tracy is a graduate of Memorial University with a Master’s degree in Applied Psychological Science. She has experience in applied research and program evaluation techniques, including interview and survey questionnaire development, logic model and evaluation framework design, and the analysis and interpretation of both qualitative and quantitative data. Throughout her academic and research career, Tracy has been involved in a variety of research projects in the public health and education sphere as well as in the private sector. She is an active standing member of the Canadian Evaluation Society – NL Chapter and serves as Director at Large on the CES-NL executive council. Tracy is committed to providing exceptional client service and draws on her background in social psychology to deliver a unique lens to consulting and market research.

As a Data Analyst at MQO, Colin works with members of the research team performing data analysis, data mining and database management tasks for a variety of projects. Analysis ranges from running basic descriptive statistics such as frequencies to performing segmentation analyses. Colin has extensive experience with Microsoft Office applications and is fluent in a variety of statistical packages including SPSS Data Builder, SPSS for Windows, Minitab, SAS, XLISP-STAT (Arc) and Voxco CATI/CAWI software. Colin has a Bachelor of Science (Statistics) from Memorial University.

Eduardo graduated from Memorial University with a master’s degree in Political Science. He has developed the skills required to analyze, interpret, and present quantitative and qualitative data throughout his career and he is also familiar with conducting interviews. Eduardo has carried research projects in an academic setting for over three years and has expertise in environmental policies and sustainable development topics. His private sector experience includes conducting primary and secondary research to support the development and implementation of organizations’ internationalization plans. Eduardo’s strength lies in his diverse background; having worked with start-ups, governments, and large corporations in different countries, he is ready to support and provide insights to research across a variety of industries.