Published on 6 Aug 2025

Building safer workplaces through funding evidence-based research: Evaluation of Applied Health and Safety Research Scholarship Programme

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The Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) turned to Allen + Clarke when they needed to evaluate their Applied Health and Safety Research Scholarship Programme. After running the programme as a pilot from 2018 to 2020 with five scholarship recipients, HASANZ needed clear evidence about its effectiveness in supporting recipients, industry engagement during research and whether the funded work improved health and safety outcomes. Without this evaluation, HASANZ would lack the information needed to strengthen the programme and demonstrate its value to stakeholders like ACC, who funded the scholarships. 

 

The evaluation delivered clear evidence that the Applied Research Scholarship Programme filled a gap in New Zealand's health and safety research landscape. It also provided a monitoring framework to track improvements and demonstrate value to funders and stakeholders.

Increasing professionalism in workplace health and safety practitioners

HASANZ represents 14 health and safety and workforce development organisations across New Zealand. Established in 2013 following the Government's Working Safer reforms, HASANZ works to increase the professionalism of workplace health and safety practitioners. Their Applied Research Scholarship Programme, funded by ACC and awarded annually since 2018, aims to encourage further education in workplace health and safety and build sector capability. 

Our team applied deep expertise in evaluation methodologies and knowledge of New Zealand's health and safety sector to design a practical approach. Our mixed-methods approach uncovered valuable insights that would have remained hidden without conducting a thorough evaluation:

 

  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Created a robust evaluation framework with performance indicators directly aligned to scholarship objectives.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Conducted in-depth interviews with scholarship recipients, HASANZ staff, ACC coordinators and industry representatives.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Implemented a targeted online survey for unsuccessful applicants to understand counterfactual scenarios.
  • Website Generic Icons 1200x1200 GREEN 31 Reviewed comprehensive programme documentation including progress reports and research plans.
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Mentorship and communication needed clarity

Our evaluation revealed specific strengths and opportunities: 

  • Recipients highly valued the generous financial assistance that enabled research that otherwise wouldn't proceed. 

  • The scholarship effectively supported work addressing important knowledge gaps in workplace health and safety. 

  • Mentorship was conceptually valuable but confusing in practice, with recipients unclear about available support. 

  • Communication between HASANZ and recipients happened sporadically, creating uncertainty about expectations. 

  • Industry connections were strong, but researchers needed more help communicating findings to relevant audiences. 

  • Media meetings occurred too early in the research process, before meaningful results were available. 

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Maximising research impact on workplace safety

Based on our findings, we recommended specific actions to enhance programme impact: 

  • Develop a structured communications plan with regular checkpoints to maintain connection with recipients. 

  • Revise the mentorship programme to provide a clear list of appropriate mentors with defined roles. 

  • Leverage existing relationships to strengthen connections between researchers and key organisations. 

  • Increase flexibility in funding allocation to better support longer-term research projects. 

  • Schedule media and communications meetings at appropriate points in the research timeline. 

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