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Expertise

We combine expertise across evidence and public policy advisory to deliver enhanced value to our clients​

We operate at the intersection of data, technology and citizen insight and our expertise extends across the entire public policy development cycle.​

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Insights

Read our latest News and Insights for thought leadership on global and local public policy challenges.

Discover the impact of our work through Case Studies.

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About us

Verian is a world leading, purpose-led and independent research, evidence, evaluation, and communications agency, providing services to government and the public realm. ​​

We work with our clients to help solve the next generation of public policy challenges.​

Policy Centres of Excellence

We work across the full policy lifecycle combining deep expertise in major areas of public policy with methodological and sector specialists to tackle complex, interconnected challenges. Our Centres of Excellence connect experts across our global network to share best practise, advance new thinking and collaborate with policymakers to generate the insights which help public institutions make better decisions.

Explore our Policy Areas

Technology & Society

Verian helps governments, regulators and public bodies understand and shape the human impact of digital change.

We specialise in protecting children and vulnerable users, strengthening public trust, supporting effective regulation and ensuring technology works better for people and society.

Our work with clients spans online safety and regulation, attitudes to AI, digital public services, misinformation, disinformation and trust in online environments.

Learn More

Critical Infrastructure

Verian helps governments, regulators, infrastructure clients and delivery organisations understand how people use, value and respond to the critical systems and networks society depends on.

We bring the human perspective to infrastructure decisions - combining behavioural insight, public sentiment, social licence, evaluation and policy expertise. From energy transition and digital infrastructure to transport, utilities, road safety, ports and major events, we help clients make better decisions about where, how and when to invest.

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Crime, Justice & Safety

Verian helps governments and public sector organisations understand and address both traditional and emerging safety challenges - from crime, victimisation and policing to online harms and digital safety.

Our teams combine rigorous evidence with trauma-informed research practices and behavioural insight to investigate complex and sensitive issues safely, ethically and effectively.

Public Health & Wellbeing

We work with national health agencies, government departments and public bodies to understand how people engage with health issues — and how services, communications and policies can better support healthier outcomes for all.

Our public health expertise spans prevention, behaviour change, and health communications related to infectious disease, tobacco, alcohol, vaping, sexual health, mental health, aging, social care and wellbeing.

Our work combines academic-quality research, behavioural insight, and robust evaluation at pace to help clients design more effective policies, campaigns and interventions.

Growth & Opportunity

We help governments and public institutions to unlock growth, opportunity and inclusion.

We combine whole-of-society insight, including seldom-heard groups, with expertise in labour markets, skills, education, housing, taxation, social mobility, welfare, economic development and public service reform, to deliver the evidence needed to shape more effective policy and investment decisions.

Explore our Policy Areas

Technology & Society

Verian helps governments, regulators and public bodies understand and shape the human impact of digital change.

We specialise in protecting children and vulnerable users, strengthening public trust, supporting effective regulation and ensuring technology works better for people and society.

Our work with clients spans online safety and regulation, attitudes to AI, digital public services, misinformation, disinformation and trust in online environments.

Learn More

Critical Infrastructure

Verian helps governments, regulators, infrastructure clients and delivery organisations understand how people use, value and respond to the critical systems and networks society depends on.

We bring the human perspective to infrastructure decisions - combining behavioural insight, public sentiment, social licence, evaluation and policy expertise. From energy transition and digital infrastructure to transport, utilities, road safety, ports and major events, we help clients make better decisions about where, how and when to invest.

Learn More

Crime, Justice & Safety

Verian helps governments and public sector organisations understand and address both traditional and emerging safety challenges - from crime, victimisation and policing to online harms and digital safety.

Our teams combine rigorous evidence with trauma-informed research practices and behavioural insight to investigate complex and sensitive issues safely, ethically and effectively.

Public Health & Wellbeing

We work with national health agencies, government departments and public bodies to understand how people engage with health issues — and how services, communications and policies can better support healthier outcomes for all.

Our public health expertise spans prevention, behaviour change, and health communications related to infectious disease, tobacco, alcohol, vaping, sexual health, mental health, aging, social care and wellbeing.

Our work combines academic-quality research, behavioural insight, and robust evaluation at pace to help clients design more effective policies, campaigns and interventions.

Growth & Opportunity

We help governments and public institutions to unlock growth, opportunity and inclusion.

We combine whole-of-society insight, including seldom-heard groups, with expertise in labour markets, skills, education, housing, taxation, social mobility, welfare, economic development and public service reform, to deliver the evidence needed to shape more effective policy and investment decisions.

 

Explore our Policy Areas

Crime, Justice and Safety

Addressing critical issues relating to crime, justice and safety policy including safer streets, improvements to the justice system, and violence against women and girls (VAWG). 

Our work includes transforming the Crime Survey in England and Wales, tackling online harm and evaluating the impact of programmes to create safer streets. 

Critical Infrastructure

Solving critical infrastructure policy challenges across areas including transport, urban transformation and utilities. 

Projects include driving behaviour change in public transport use, raising public support for infrastructure projects and addressing barriers to investment in infrastructure. 

Education

Children’s services, education inc. early years, schools, higher and further education policy and adult skills.

Public Health

Powering decisions around public health such as disease management, mental health and healthcare access. 

Examples of our work include informing and implementing programmes to improve vaccination rates, understanding the prevalence of lived experience of eating disorders and body image concerns, measuring child wellbeing, and understanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people.  

Technology & Society  

Helping clients to understand and prepare for the impact of emerging technology on society including misinformation and disinformation, online harm and trust in institutions. 

Work includes addressing the threat of potentially harmful online video content, understanding how people communicate online and testing interventions to reduce engagement with online scams. 

Growth and Opportunity

Meeting challenges related to education, employment and skills training, tourism, and economic development and trade. 

Examples include measuring essential skills for adults to participate in society and for economies to thrive, gathering evidence on use of AI in education, and driving growth in inbound international tourism. 


Seldom Heard Audiences

Engaging with seldom heard audiences is fundamental to ensuring the whole public is at the centre of public policy making. 

Verian is a leader in amplifying the voices of those that are at highest risk of being overlooked through inclusive research that minimises participation barriers. 

Read more

Explore our Policy Centres of Excellence

People walking across a geometric public square, casting long shadows in daylight

Growth & Opportunity

We help governments and public institutions to unlock growth, opportunity and inclusion.

We combine whole-of-society insight, including seldom-heard groups, with expertise in labour markets, skills, education, housing, taxation, social mobility, welfare, economic development and public service reform, to deliver the evidence needed to shape more effective policy and investment decisions.

Learn more
Close-up of a wooden judge’s gavel resting on a sound block, symbolising law and justice.

Crime, Justice & Safety

Verian helps governments and public sector organisations understand and address both traditional and emerging safety challenges - from crime, victimisation and policing to online harms and digital safety.  

Our teams combine rigorous evidence with trauma-informed research practices and behavioural insight to investigate complex and sensitive issues safely, ethically and effectively. 

Learn more
Aerial view of a curved concrete dam bordering a large expanse of turquoise water.

Critical Infrastructure
Verian helps governments, regulators and infrastructure organisations understand how people experience, value and respond to infrastructure, bringing together behavioural insight, customer experience, public sentiment, evaluation and policy expertise. Across energy, utilities, transport, digital infrastructure and net zero, we help clients make better investment decisions, improve services, build public support and demonstrate measurable economic, regulatory and long-term value for communities and taxpayers.
Learn more
technology-and-society-banner

Technology & Society

Verian helps governments, regulators and public bodies understand and shape the human impact of digital change.  

We specialise in protecting children and vulnerable users, strengthening public trust, supporting effective regulation and ensuring technology works better for people and society.  

Our work with clients spans online safety and regulation, attitudes to AI, digital public services, misinformation, disinformation and trust in online environments. 

Learn more
Healthcare professional holding a patient's hands during a consultation.

Public Health & Wellbeing
Verian helps governments, public health agencies and public bodies understand how people’s beliefs, behaviours, experiences and wider social context influence outcomes. Combining expertise in public policy, behaviour change, communications and health systems, we help clients understand what people do and why, designing more effective policies, campaigns, services and interventions that improve prevention, strengthen wellbeing and deliver better outcomes for individuals, communities and society.
Learn more
Image of the backs of students with backpacks on walking to school in the morning.

Education & Employment

Education systems worldwide face persistent challenges, from unequal outcomes and teacher shortages to learning loss, inadequate Special Educational Needs (SEN) support and skills mismatches that leave many young people underprepared for work. We help governments and policymakers address these issues through research, evaluation and evidence-based insights, with specialist expertise in engaging children and young people.

Learn more

Additional policy areas

Ageing Population

We help governments and public institutions respond to demographic change through evidence on healthy ageing, retirement, community care and later-life wellbeing.

By combining longitudinal research, behavioural insight and policy evaluation, we help clients design services and policies that support independence, inclusion and quality of life for older citizens.

Understanding the needs of young seniors in Singapore

SHARE Project: Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe

Observatory of municipal elections: Ageing well

Agriculture

Verian helps policymakers understand the challenges and opportunities shaping agriculture and the wider agri-food sector.

We work across diverse markets, bringing expertise in engaging harder-to-reach audiences across rural or agricultural areas, and generating evidence on issues including access to finance, sector needs and experiences to inform effective policy decisions.

Balancing a fair deal for farmers and the consumer

Banking & Finance

Verian helps policymakers, regulators and financial institutions understand how banking and financial systems work for people and businesses. Our expertise spans payments and financial behaviour, access to finance and business conditions, and the understanding and adoption of new financial infrastructure, helping inform better policy, regulation and services. 

Measuring the digitisation of payments and the Eurozone cash economy

Business & Innovation

We help governments and public institutions harness innovation, data and emerging technologies to address complex policy challenges.

Combining human understanding, advanced analytics and policy expertise, we help clients adopt new technologies responsibly, build public trust, and deliver more effective services, programmes and policy outcomes.

Public dialogue exploring views about the development and use of quantum computing in the UK

Climate & Environment

Meeting public policy challenges on energy transition, climate change, environmental goals, sustainability and net-zero. 

Our work includes changing behaviours to conserve water, increasing take-up of smart meters for electricity and gas, and understanding customer choices for sustainable products. 

Case Studies | Climate Change & Environment

Defence & Security

We help governments strengthen resilience and prepare for emerging security challenges, from cyber threats and critical infrastructure disruption to military conflict and crisis response. Combining public insight, behavioural evidence and policy expertise, we help clients build trust, improve preparedness and develop whole-of-society approaches to resilience.  

National resilience: Turning public willingness into public preparedness

Economy & Tax

We help governments and institutions tackle complex economic and tax policy challenges through large-scale, evidence-led research.

Our work spans measuring payment behaviours across the Eurozone for the European Central Bank, evaluating tax modernisation for HMRC, and supporting safer, more sustainable circular economy markets through robust consumer, behavioural and policy research that informs practical policy decisions.

Digitisation of payments and the Eurozone cash economy 

Ensuring product safety in Europe’s growing circular economy

Gender

We help prevent gender-based violence and advance gender equality by understanding the attitudes, behaviours and social norms that drive discrimination. Through research, evaluation and advisory support, we help clients develop effective interventions that deliver lasting change for individuals and communities. 

The Reykjavík Index for Leadership

Perceptions of violence against women and girls

Housing & Urban Planning

We help governments design, deliver and evaluate housing and planning policies that improve affordability, increase housing supply and strengthen communities.

Combining resident engagement, behavioural insight, economic analysis and programme evaluation, we help clients understand what works and create housing solutions that deliver lasting social and economic value.

Amplifying the voices of social housing residents in England 

Overcoming challenges in private rented housing

International Development

We work with governments, donors, multilateral institutions and NGOs to address complex international development challenges.

Combining rigorous evidence, evaluation, behavioural insight and local expertise, we help clients design, implement and assess programmes that improve outcomes for communities, particularly those who are vulnerable, marginalised or hard to reach.

ASEAN Survey on International Cooperation

Immunisation and handwashing behaviour change programme

Migration & Displacement

We provide data that helps clients to shape inclusive, evidence-based migration policy. 
 
Our work includes enhancing immigrant youth integration and wellbeing and producing the longitudinal study, Voice of Ukraine, which tracks the experiences, integration challenges and return intentions of displaced Ukrainians across the European Union.  

Working migrants in the EU: Insights from citizens’ perspectives

Youth, Children & Families

Meaningful youth engagement must be built on trusted, sustained partnerships with young people, grounded in transparency, credibility and mutual understanding. 

We have decades of experience supporting governments and multilateral institutions globally with high quality, youth-centred, and evidence-based public policy advice.

Youth Voices: Engaging the generation shaping tomorrow

Our latest thinking

Subscribe to receive regular updates on our latest thinking and research across the public policy agenda.

Our expert teams around the world regularly produce research and insights relating to public policy issues. 

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