Informing your decisions through authoritative research

intelligent  ▪  approachable  ▪  pragmatic

What we do

Helping you make informed decisions and bring about lasting change through authoritative economics, strategy and policy research.

Our research, analysis and strategic thinking allows organisations to develop and promote robust evidence-based policies and plans. We work with public bodies, trade associations and businesses across the globe on a broad range of issues.

By offering a fresh and practical approach to research, we help our clients find lasting solutions in challenging situations, and new opportunities in unexpected places.

Our recent work with clients has helped them:

We are thorough, objective and authoritative. Our findings are presented creatively to bring clarity to complex ideas and data, and our reports are concise and accessible.

Our clients have the confidence and credibility to make a strong case to decision-makers.

Assessing socio-economic impact and fiscal value

Demonstrating the case for public funding of the free specialist legal advice sector

Challenging policy norms and debunking research myths

Explaining and defending globalisation, trade and mobility, and the role of the British Virgin Islands

Optimising policy in challenging circumstances and locations

Assessing the appropriate role for government in supporting greater prosperity in coastal communities

Pragmatix Advisory combines compelling ideas with the sound and insightful research necessary to bring them to life. With a keen understanding of the political environment in which we all must operate, they provide the arguments, evidence and actions necessary to have an immediate and meaningful impact.
— executive director, business membership body
You need to go to Treasury with solutions – not just problems. Our worry was that the consultants would go off and do their work in isolation and produce a report we didn’t understand or couldn’t explain – to our own board or externally. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. Our work with Pragmatix Advisory has definitely shown what can be achieved if a trade association engages a consultancy with their expertise.
— director of policy, industry representative group

intelligent  ▪  approachable  ▪  pragmatic

How we do it

We work closely and collaboratively with our clients to address their specific challenges.

Each client and each assignment is different. We tailor our approach to best suit our clients' needs:
  • Standalone bespoke research projects
  • Policy and research programme management and support
  • Fractional policy and research department
Our priority is always to deliver actionable research and analysis that will have a positive and lasting impact.
    • Thorough

    • Comprehensive

    • Systematic

    • Unbiased

    • Impactful

    • Defendable

    • Grounded in theory and evidence

    • Focussed on the question asked

    • Deliverable on time and in budget

    • Iterative and collaborative approach

  • Primary research

    • Surveys

    • Interviews

    • Focus groups

    • Workshops

    • Case studies

    Secondary research

    • Desk research

    • Literature review

    • Data collection

    • Data synthesis

    • Horizon scanning

    Analysis and interpretation

    • Data analysis

    • Computer modelling and econometrics

    • Cost benefit analysis

    • Social rate of return analysis

    • SWOT analysis

    • Financial analysis

    Visualisation and reporting

    • Accessible charts and graphics

    • Straightforward language

    • Videos

    • Client accessible models

    • Infographics

    • Clear and authoritative communication

    • Extracting insight from disparate information

    • Flexible and multi-disciplinary

    • Advice built on broad perspectives

    • Willingness to think creatively and challenge orthodoxy

    • Access to specialist associates

    • New interpretation of existing material

Our brief was challenging, calling for a fast and focused piece of work. It was carried out to a high standard, delivered on time and more than met our expectations. We were particularly impressed with the presentation of the research, which set out a complex set of findings in a particularly clear, accessible and readable way.
— policy advisor, public sector membership body
Pragmatix Advisory are friendly, solution-focused, and politically astute. They provided a fast service, and could be relied on to ensure the project kept to schedule and delivered its milestones. The insights they provided will be very helpful in improving future iterations of the project. I would be very happy to work with Pragmatix Advisory again.
— head of research and policy, private higher education provider

intelligent  ▪  approachable  ▪  pragmatic

Who we are

We are a team of economists, strategists, social scientists and policy specialists that deliver tailored, pragmatic and actionable research globally. We operate an environmentally-friendly fully-virtual office with consultants based across the United Kingdom and associates worldwide.

Mark
LinkedIn

I founded Pragmatix Advisory to do consultancy differently — to be more human and less pretentious, to work more collaboratively and less competitively, and to be entirely focused on our client’s impact.
— Mark Pragnell

Mark Pragnell
Managing Director, Essex

Mark founded Pragmatix Advisory to help businesses, trade associations and public bodies around the world overcome their biggest challenges through the intelligent and pragmatic use of research and analysis.

He has over 30 years' experience of applying economics and business research techniques to markets, industries and public policy. He has held leadership roles in respected macroeconomics consultancies, as well as policy and campaigning organisations. Mark’s most recent assignments have covered international trade and finance, infrastructure funding, the housing and property sectors, and reforming public sector finances.

Based in the Essex countryside, he and his family get to enjoy the fresh air with their horses and dogs.

I’m proud that we’re a consultancy that listens to and is open with our clients, while keeping the highest standards of research and maintaining our independent voice.
— Rebecca Munro

Rebecca
LinkedIn

Rebecca Munro
Director, Argyll and Bute

Rebecca is our director responsible for policy research.

She oversees projects across a diverse range of issues, sectors and geographies but, based in the Inner Hebrides, she is especially passionate about our research for rural coastal and island communities. Rebecca’s recent assignments have involved the legal services sector, high streets, local government and the insurance market.

Before joining the team, she spearheaded the first successful community purchase of an island, the Isle of Ulva, under revised Scottish land reform legislation in 2018. Rebecca enjoys crochet, reading and walking her dog, when the children and weather permit, and is learning conversational Gàidhlig.

The real point of differentiation for me is how we combine a broad theoretical approach to our research that has been tried and tested with multiple clients in a range of sectors with a depth of real-world experience. This ultimately means that our clients are getting analysis and recommendations based on direct experience not a textbook.
— Paul Marshall

Paul
LinkedIn

Paul Marshall
Director, West Midlands

Paul is our director responsible for strategy and governance research.

Having spent more than twenty years working in higher education, he has a depth of expertise in supporting C-suite leaders develop and implement robust strategies for complex organisations in regulated markets where government policy is decisive but often unpredictable. Paul’s recent assignments have covered higher education, life sciences, innovation clusters, heritage and culture, and the labour market, skills and employment.

Paul is a chartered governance professional, advanced board reviewer and holds Practitioner-level qualifications in programme and change management. Based in the West Midlands, he is married with two children and a miniature dachshund and enjoys road cycling, garden design, cooking and travelling.

As a former client, I’ve direct experience of Pragmatix Advisory grasping what we needed and finding the evidence to make the strongest case for our sector. I jumped at the chance to help the team bring that benefit to other representative organisations.
— Richard Lambert

Richard
LinkedIn

Richard Lambert
Senior Consultant, London

Richard is our senior consultant responsible for advising trade associations and membership bodies.

A widely respected trade association chief executive with three different organisations in varied sectors over twenty years, he uses his understanding of policymaking and politics from his time as a parliamentary civil servant to help clients use our research to develop effective lobbying campaigns and build relationships across government. Richard’s recent assignments have supported small businesses and trade associations.

Based in east London, he is a West Ham season ticket holder of more than 30 years’ standing, a keen cook and a barely competent guitarist.

Zarea
LinkedIn

I get to work across a wide range of sectors and with many varied clients, but the same robust underlying principles and thorough research approach applies to all our assignments.
— Zarea Kamil

Zarea Kamil
Consultant, London

Zarea conducts research and analysis across our portfolio of projects, including recent assignments relating to international trade and finance, the legal services sector and island economies.

She joined the team as an intern after completing her BSc in political economy from King’s College London. A Malaysian national, she is fluent in Bahasa Melayu. Based in east London, Zarea enjoys reading and food blogging, and she supports Arsenal.

Associates

Mark and the team have developed a broad network of associates and experts that allows Pragmatix Advisory to bring in the right resources for each assignment. This provides access to industry-leading economists, market researchers, scientists, statisticians, marketeers, lobbyists and many other experts in their respective fields.

intelligent  ▪  approachable  ▪  pragmatic

Why our clients choose us

Our clients say we aren’t like other consultancies. They like working with us because we’re good at getting to grips with a brief and providing exactly what’s needed. We’re responsive, flexible and easy to work with.

The research was carried out to a high standard, delivered on time and exceeded our expectations. We were particularly impressed with the presentation of the research in the final report, which set out a complex set of findings in a particularly clear, accessible and readable way.
— policy advisor​, public sector membership body
Pragmatix Advisory were a great organisation to work with. They were efficient, thoughtful and reflective. The research report gave us a clear and actionable set of recommendations which we have been able to move forwards into action planning. We would definitely work with them again!
— principal employment and skills officer, local authority
Pragmatix Advisory fully exceeded my expectations. Their dedication, knowledge and clarity of thinking is second to none, delivering only to the highest standard at all stages. They bring together policy and its implications effortlessly, and are not afraid to push the boundaries of what is possible in order to produce compelling outputs that will have an immediate impact.
— campaigns advisor​, charity
Pragmatix Advisory have worked with us on projects as far reaching as organisational change, clarification and role definition, strategic planning, tender submissions and company profiling. It has been a pleasure to work with a team whose skills, knowledge, expertise and approach to analysis, planning and strategic focus are sharply aligned to company vision, mission, purpose and aspiration.
— chief executive, higher education and training body

intelligent  ▪  approachable  ▪  pragmatic