Five years of Dovetail

In June 2014, I set off on a solo journey with Dovetail. It didn’t really stay solo for long – from its inception I’d coined the line of “a collaborative hub of changemakers”, and that’s how it quickly evolved. I’m genuinely honoured to have worked with so many people as collaborators in so many different projects, from rapid literature reviews to long-term research and evaluation projects.

It’s been quite a ride, with a huge amount of satisfaction, and some stress at times, but I’ve been happier working this way than in any other role I’ve had.

As this year’s infographic shows, it’s certainly been a productive five years. There have been lots of highlights, a few of which are

• Being part of the Future Streets collaboration, and building healthier, safer and more accessible streets in Māngere

• Evaluating new technologies, from the iMOKO platform to the NZ-VR initiative that brings virtual reality filming of the marine ecosystem to New Zealand school children

• Exploring the application of sustainable procurement approaches in New Zealand

• Researching experiences of bikelash, from the perspectives of opponents, supporters and the planners caught in the middle

• And (soon to come to these pages), understanding how innovation moves from niche activity to becoming embedded in business as usual, through case studies in the road safety arena.

But the biggest highlight has been the privilege of working with people who are passionate about what they do and determined to change the world for the better, whether as clients or collaborators.

For a clearer and printable version, you can also download a pdf here.