Learning from the Frontlines
How Practitioners Help Shape EAAMO’s Work
What happens when researchers don’t just study social issues, but sit down with the people facing them every day?
At the (EAAMO) research initiative, one working group has embraced this idea, by building intentional, ongoing conversations with practitioners on the frontlines of equity work.
The working group emerged from a collective desire to ground theoretical and quantitative research in the expertise of expert practitioners who are often overlooked in high-level academic discussions.
What began as a series of hour-long virtual chats with social workers, lawyers, policy advocates, and community organizers has grown into a working group of early career researchers who are working directly with UK-based NGO, , which supports survivors of gender-based violence.
A focus on listening
At the heart of these conversations lies one essential idea: listening. During the virtual chats, researchers from the working group invite community advocates to describe their day-to-day work, share their aspirations, and highlight the struggles they face when resources are tight. There’s no rigid research agenda and no immediate ask for data. The focus is on listening and amplifying their stories — understanding how organizations are attempting to help underrepresented groups, the challenges they face, and thinking about how technology, data, or even just basic administrative support might ease their burdens.
Over the past three years, the group has interviewed more than 20 practitioners — including a lawyer, a medical doctor, a former government minister, social workers, and representatives of non-profit organizations. These practitioners hail from diverse corners of the globe — Kenya, Australia, Germany, and the United States — and represent a broad array of domains, including refugee rights, conservation, addiction counseling, and municipal data science. It’s a refreshing change of pace for academics accustomed to filtering every exchange through an academic lens.
Some of the practitioners they’ve interviewed include, among others:
- Ivana Feldfeber, who focuses on educational and social policy initiatives in Latin America.
- Dan Sutch, who leads an organization advising nonprofits and charities on effectively integrating digital tools.
- Yolanda Booyzen, whose work involves communications and outreach for a global network dedicated to human rights documentation.
- Damini Satija, who leverages data-driven approaches for social impact and public policy.
- Stephen Kalungu shared insights on using technology to strengthen nonprofit operations in African contexts.
- Verity Firth discussed her public education and policy advocacy aimed at building more equitable structures in higher learning.
- Andrew Chow, who provides civic data science expertise to enhance municipal services and inform policymaking.
Through these conversations, the working group often gains first-hand accounts on how, in many cases, technology and data-driven approaches have fallen short, and even hindered important work. These insights paint a realistic picture for researchers and challenge assumptions about what is truly needed. By taking a more open-ended, exploratory approach, the group learns from the expertise of people who spend each day grappling with real, complex issues that do not always fit neatly into an equation or a dataset.
Different speeds, common goals
A recurring theme from these conversations is the stark difference between academic timelines and the swift turnarounds practitioners often require. Researchers might spend a year crafting a journal article, while social workers or nonprofit advocates need rapid solutions to urgent crises. Despite these differences,, both groups share the same overarching mission: improving equity and creating tangible, positive impact.
Based on the working group’s experience, early collaborations between researchers and practitioners can begin with simple technical or strategy-related tasks, which develop into deeper partnerships over time — leading to outputs like specialized analytical tools, or policy-focused research.
However, taking time to build this rapport is crucial. It lays the groundwork for the more ambitious, high-impact initiatives that can follow when mutual respect and a full understanding of the context have been established.
A culture of collaboration
Across its many conversations, the working group has seen a gradual yet impactful shift as researchers begin to integrate these narratives into their course materials, offer volunteer their skills at nonprofits, and establish more sustained partnerships that truly blend technical expertise with local know-how. In the process, many come to redefine impact — learning that it means more than a high number of citations or publishing work in high-profile venues; but as something that offers tangible outcomes for the communities they aim to serve.
The Conversations with Practitioners model exemplifies the belief that knowledge flows in both directions — frontline workers gain a window into how emerging algorithms or data science might support their missions, while academic teams grasp the profound importance of context, trust, and day-to-day human realities. It is a blueprint for a more integrated approach to problem-solving, one in which the power of algorithms and data is amplified by deep listening, empathy, and collaboration.
For EAAMO, the results are clear, greater cultural awareness among researchers, more grounded explorations of social challenges, and, hopefully, a new generation of people making a positive difference in people’s lives.
Further Reading and Call to Action
This excerpt is adapted from the paper, published at ACM EAAMO’24. EAAMO extends its gratitude to the authors: Mayra Russo, , , Wendy Xu, , , and .
Watch the presentation of this work at the conference:
EAAMO warmly invites researchers to join and participate in its working groups, and welcomes practitioners from all backgrounds to share their experiences and insights. Those interested in contributing can do so by filling out and reaching out to us. By working together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and curiosity, EAAMO hopes to shape innovative, inclusive solutions to some of society’s most urgent challenges.
