Dr Stephen Connolly

Stephen brings a range of expertise to DC Research, based upon more than fourteen years' research experience achieved through a combination of roles in both consultancy and academic research.

He has managed and delivered a range of projects on behalf of national organisations/ agencies, regional development agencies, local authorities, sub-regional partnerships, Local Strategic Partnerships, Community Planning Partnerships, Urban and Rural Regeneration Companies and other area based initiatives. This has included evaluations, economic impact assessments, area profiling and baseline development, partnership assessments, development of impact and evaluation frameworks, and regeneration policy research studies.

Current, and recently completed, projects that Stephen is leading on include: Mid-Term Evaluation of the Port of Workington Investment Programme for Port of Workington/Cumbria County Council, an Evaluation of the Lancashire Tourism Development Programme for Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board, Evaluations of Years 1 and 2 of the Living Places Programme for the Living Places Partners (Arts Council for England, CABE, English Heritage, MLA Council, Sport England, DCMS and CLG), an Evaluation of the Our Place empty shops Project for MLA Council, an Assessment of Hartlepool's Performance in Narrowing the Gap for the Hartlepool Partnership and the development of both a Performance Management Framework (PMF) and a Commissioning Framework for Leisure & Culture Services for Knowsley MBC.

In recent years, Stephen has developed a portfolio of cultural related experience including evaluations of culture and heritage programmes, research studies about the role of culture, economic impact assessments of cultural projects, and the development of Impact Frameworks for cultural services.  This experience complements his wider research experience across a range of economic and regeneration agendas stretching back to the mid 1990’s.

Stephen was awarded his PhD in 2004, and is also a Member of the Institute of Economic Development.