Our Staff

Experience
Dr Deborah McLeod has worked in research and evaluation for the past thirty years with specialisation in the health and social sectors. In recent years she has also worked in senior public service positions in the Ministry of Social Development and the New Zealand Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. Between 2010 and 2012, she worked in Canada managing the Ottawa office of R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. Her clients included federal and provincial government agencies, trade sector councils, museum corporations, the police and universities. She has worked as director at Malatest International since 2012.

Expertise
Debbie is an expert evaluator. Her project management, research and evaluation design knowledge and analytical skills make her a leader in her field. Her key strengths are designing and managing projects with multiple stakeholders, planning and conducting high-quality evaluations, developing ethical protocols, and technical reporting. She has experience across all data collection methods including survey data collection, stakeholder interviews, focus groups and controlled experiments.
Debbie also has extensive experience in developing and leading teams. In all of her roles she has developed training programmes and provided mentorship to ‘grow’ the evaluation skills of her staff.

Experience
Lana began her research career at the University of Auckland and rose to the position of Pacific Health Research Manager. She moved to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs where she provided Pacific Research advice to the Ministry executive and managed the research unit within the Ministry contributing to projects including Pacific Debt, Growing up in New Zealand and the study of Pacific non-regulated workers.
Lana joined Malatest International in 2013 as Auckland Manager. She has led a range of projects with a focus on the Auckland community and on Pacific research.

Expertise
Lana has strong analytical and research skills developed from academic training and study, involvement and/or employment in extensive research studies within various New Zealand universities for more than a decade and more recently in government research and management.
Her skills also include the ability to produce research and evaluation findings that support policy development. Lana has strong project management skills and experience leading projects within government and New Zealand tertiary institutions. Lana is skilled in all aspects of research design, feasibility, conduct, analyses, evaluation and report writing.

Robert is president of R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd., and has achieved Certified Market Research Professional (CMRP) designation from the Canadian MRIA, the highest professional designation available through the organisation. He brings more than two decades of experience across a wide range of project domains.

As president of R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd, Robert is responsible for the management of large-scale, complex, research projects. He has been involved in the design, development and administration of numerous research studies, including consultations and strategy development in the areas of labour market development, education and training, industry development, housing, and the funding and provision of health services. These studies have generally entailed the development, administration and synthesis of a range of activities (surveys, quantitative/ qualitative analyses, review of administrative data and procedures) to provide a comprehensive review of the identified policies or programmes.

Robert is skilled in analysing and integrating the results of these lines of evidence to create thorough and defensible results and provide timely policy advice.Robert also has a considerable depth of experience in programmes and policies designed for First Nations and Inuit populations in Canada, working alongside both First Nations and Inuit communities, leaders and government departments. He has worked for dozens of federal and provincial government departments and organisations in Canada. His international work has focused on new integration; for the Evaluation of Government Assisted Refugees (GAR) and Resettlement Assistant Programs (RAP) he oversaw an international study, including field visits to selected countries.

Experience

Tania Slater (Ngāpuhi) began her research journey in the early 1990s at the Wellington Asthma Research Group, based in the Wellington School of Medicine.  She worked on a nationwide survey of asthma prevalence and the evaluation of an asthma action plan with Māori whānau in the Wairarapa.  In 2000, Tania joined the Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University and contributed to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISSAC).

As a Māori Research and Policy Adviser at the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, Tania’s research, policy and community engagement skills were further developed.  In 2001, she joined the Research and Evaluation Unit at the Ministry of Justice and gained extensive evaluation experience as well as a good understanding of government processes.

In 2004, Tania returned to the Centre for Public Health Research where she was engaged in a number of occupational health studies. Her interest in Māori health research and development led to work on a large project examining the role of primary care in prevention and detection of cancer, and in facilitating access to diagnosis and treatment, as well as rehabilitation and palliative care. Tania’s doctoral study focussed on the system of care for Māori with cancer, and findings from the study helped inform an HRC funded project designing, implementing and evaluating a supportive cancer care programme for Māori whānau.

Expertise
Māori health and development are at the core of Tania’s work, and this equity lens extends to all groups across Aotearoa. Tania’s strengths are in qualitative research and she enjoys building lasting relationships with a broad range of key stakeholders including whānau, community groups, health and social service providers, government agencies and funders.

Experience
Before joining Malatest International, Bronwyn spent ten years at Stats NZ helping produce social, cultural, and environmental statistics (including well-being measures and state of environment indicators). Bronwyn has worked with stakeholders in different sectiors, and is familiar with statistical information needs for policy, monitoring and reporting purposes. She is particularly adept at developing conceptual and measurement frameworks for official statistics, including national-scale survey production.

Expertise
Bronwyn is a cross-disciplinary social scientist (with degrees in law, sociology and science studies), skilled in qualitative and quantitative research and analysis. Bronwyn’s strengths are conceptual and analytical thinking, and an ability to synthesise complex material and generate high quality insights. Her specialist knowledge includes qualitative research methodologies (e.g. ethnography); relational social theory (e.g. actor-network theory); social well-being; environmental sustainability; land statistics; the human/nature interface; and culture and identity.

Experience
Catherine has an educational background in business management and psychology and is comfortable working with quantitative and qualitative data. After completing her Masters Catherine worked with the Leadership Development Centre from 2014 to 2017 in various evaluations of events and programmes as well as generating reports. Catherine has experience in analysing a wide range of data for various multi-sector assessments and evaluations. Catherine became part of the Malatest International team mid-2017 and has been involved in a wide range of projects on topics such as social services and youth services.

Expertise
Catherine is experienced in both qualitative and quantitative evaluation across a variety of topics. She is experienced in completing interviews with a broad range of people. Catherine is skilled in using SPSS to analyse quantitative surveys and synthesising complex knowledge and findings into well written, understandable summaries. Her skills in data collection, analysis and synthesis are well suited to a wide range of research and evaluation projects.

Experience
Fofoa joined Malatest International in March 2019. She has 5 years’ experience in Public Health, having previously worked at a Pacific NGO and the Auckland Regional Public Health Service. She has worked in the areas of smoking cessation, rheumatic fever and most recently, workplace wellbeing. Fofoa has a strong interest in the wellbeing of first responders. In 2018, she was involved in the research team analysing the first wellbeing survey for staff in the adult emergency department at Auckland City Hospital and also involved in research focusing on the impact of mindfulness intervention has on emergency department staff.

Expertise
Fofoa has a background in qualitative research, she has analysed a range of information from small to large cohorts. She is skilled in engaging with Samoan communities being able to hold conversations in both Samoan and English. She has a strong interest in Pacific wellbeing and telling the narratives about experiences of Pacific, indigenous and minority groups within different settings. In 2016, she completed her thesis titled “Are we on the same page” which focused on the health literacy of Samoan mothers and the management of their unwell children’s care. Her interests and passion have been shaped by her years of experience being a youth leader and working with youth in churches.

Experience
Morgan joined Malatest International in September 2019. His academic background includes a strong focus in psychological concepts particularly in the areas of self-concept and mental health. Education Policy is an area Morgan has focussed on and has experience communicating and critiquing theory. Morgan’s 2019 Honours dissertation examined the nature of depression in men; analysing the role both society and psychology has on men’s mental health. Morgan has been involved in projects implementing inclusive strength-based pedagogy in schools in California, USA.

Expertise
Morgan’s understanding of a wide range of theory provides a strong basis for research, both qualitative and quantitative. From teaching various classes in both education policy and ethnicity, Morgan communicates ideas effectively and connects with a diverse audience. Morgan has a history of working with persons with intellectual disabilities and youth.

Experience
Harri joined Malatest International in September 2019. He has an educational background focusing on cognitive engineering and decision making. Thus far he has completed investigations in the maritime and aviation industry on behaviour, communication, and cognitive load. Harri also has experience working in positions teaching a diverse range of ages from kindergarten to university students.

Expertise
Harri is experienced in organisational psychology and has strong quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills. He has both designed and led research studies in various industries. His understanding of underlying behavioural theories as well as analysis capabilities can be applied to a diverse range of projects.