Start here
rhizae is an independent research and data practice for public-interest organizations. This page explains what is here and where to go next.
What this is
rhizae turns messy evidence into something a small organization can act on and keep running. In practice that means three things: research and analysis where the question matters more than the method, data and reporting workflows that a team without engineers can maintain, and publishing that a public audience can actually read.
Who it is for
Public-interest organizations with more evidence than capacity: local government teams, funders, non-profits, and advocacy groups. Usually the people who already have the data, already know roughly what they want to know, and have no one whose job it is to close the gap between the two.
It is probably not the right fit if you need a large delivery team, a long-term system to own on your behalf, or a vendor who will tell you the evidence supports a decision you have already made.
What to read first, honestly
This practice is at an early stage, and the site says so throughout. The projects are prototypes, independent research, and portfolio samples rather than a list of delivered client engagements, and each one is labeled with what it is. If you want the fastest read on whether this is credible, go to the projects and read the status on each card before the summary.
What you might be here to do
How an engagement is scoped, which capabilities are established rather than developing, and what the practice declines.
Shared work rather than contracted delivery, and the publishing condition that comes with it.
The independent research published here without a client, and what support would and would not change about it.
Reusing a method, reporting an error, asking about the data behind the site, teaching, and speaking.
Where to go next
What has actually been built, each item labeled as a prototype, independent research, a portfolio sample, or prior experience.
How questions get framed, how data is handled, and what counts as evidence. The standards the projects are held to.
The kinds of engagement this practice takes on, from applied research to evaluation and publishing workflows.
Who is behind it, the position it takes on access and ethics, and how it works with partners.
How to start a conversation about a pilot project, and what to expect from it.