Centre for Effective Services
Centre for Effective Services is an all-island Irish not-for-profit, established in 2008 and headquartered in Dublin, that designs, implements, and evaluates public policies and services for government departments, statutory agencies, and community/voluntary organisations across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Centre for Effective Services does
Centre for Effective Services (CES) is an all-island not-for-profit organisation, established in 2008 and headquartered in Dublin with a secondary office in Belfast, that supports the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of public policies and services across Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is structured as a registered charity (Charity number 19438, registered charity number 20076252, company registration number 451580) and operates under six service lines: Research & Evaluation, Policy Development, Facilitation & Problem Solving, Programme & Change Management, Implementation, and Training. Underlying capability rests on human-delivered evidence-based research, implementation science, service design, facilitation, and change management methodologies rather than any proprietary software platform; training delivery is conducted through a MoodleCloud learning environment, and there is no disclosed AI/ML or developer-facing API infrastructure.
CES's commercial model is that of a professional services firm funded primarily through project-based commissions from government departments, statutory agencies (notably the Health Service Executive), community and voluntary sector organisations, and philanthropic bodies such as The Atlantic Philanthropies and the North-South Research Programme. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and sales-led: a free 15-minute consultation serves as the entry point, with the majority of work secured through direct commissioning, referrals, and network channels. A secondary revenue line exists in fee-based training, including the Evaluating Impact Training Programme (four modules at £80 GBP / €100 per module or £300 GBP / €375 as a bundle). Customer concentration is heavily skewed toward public-sector and quasi-public anchors, including the HSE (multiple concurrent workstreams in mental health, palliative care, child safeguarding, COVID-19 testing, and the Nurture Programme), DCEDIY (Youth Information Centres review at €1.5 million annual underlying budget), the National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland (£25 million Reaching Out programme across 36 projects and 7 years), and the Beachaire Fund / Community Foundation Ireland. CES also stewards three cross-sector networks — the Children's Research Network, the Parenting Network, and the Implementation Network of Ireland and Northern Ireland (160+ members since 2011) — which function as both engagement infrastructure and a referral pipeline.
Centre for Effective Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Centre for Effective Services
- Legal name
- Centre for Effective Services
- Website
- https://effectiveservices.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Centre for Effective Services is an all-island Irish not-for-profit, established in 2008 and headquartered in Dublin, that designs, implements, and evaluates public policies and services for government departments, statutory agencies, and community/voluntary organisations across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Centre for Effective Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Policy Consulting
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening) (BPADAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Government Public Health Grantmaking & Program Offices (HLAJALAA), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)
Keywords
Where Centre for Effective Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Centre for Effective Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government and statutory commissioning: CES is contracted and commissioned by a wide range of funders including government departments, statutory services, community and voluntary sector organisations and philanthropic organisations to design, develop, implement and evaluate public policies and services. Revenue is generated through project fees for research, evaluation, policy development, facilitation, programme management, and training services.
- Training and capacity-building fees: CES offers fee-based training programmes to teams in the public and not-for-profit sectors. Evaluating Impact Training is priced at £80 GBP / €100 Euro per individual module, or £300 GBP / €375 Euro as a four-module bundle. This represents a direct, fee-for-service revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual training module |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bundle - all 4 training modules |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels9 records
Centre for Effective Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Centre for Effective Services is a not-for-profit professional-services organisation that designs, develops, implements, and evaluates public policies and services on behalf of government departments, statutory agencies, and community and voluntary-sector organisations across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its work spans research and evaluation, policy development, facilitation, programme and change management, and implementation support, complemented by a fee-based training programme covering evaluation, implementation, and change management.
Product overview
CES is an all-island not-for-profit organisation offering professional consulting services rather than a software product platform. The core offerings consist of six service areas: Research & Evaluation, Policy Development, Facilitation & Problem Solving, Programme & Change Management, Implementation, and Training. The training portfolio includes the Evaluating Impact Training Programme (a four-module online course covering evaluation essentials, data collection, data analysis, and communicating findings) as well as standalone Implementation and Change Management training courses. All services are designed for public sector organisations, government departments, and community and voluntary sector bodies working to improve public services on the island of Ireland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Research & Evaluation Evidence-based research and evaluation services that help public sector organisations gather data, assess programmes, and demonstrate impact. Intended for government departments, statutory services, community and voluntary organisations, and philanthropic funders.
- Policy Development Policy development services that translate evidence into actionable policy recommendations, supporting government departments and agencies in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
- Facilitation & Problem Solving Facilitation services that help public sector organisations navigate complex multi-stakeholder challenges and build consensus across diverse groups.
- Programme & Change Management Programme and change management services covering project management, collaborative working, and change management frameworks to help large organisations implement and manage change.
- Implementation Implementation support services enabling better implementation of policies and services through strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and programme delivery support for public sector clients.
- Evaluating Impact Training Programme Four-module online training programme (An Introduction to Evaluation; The Nuts and Bolts of Evaluation; Making Meaning from your Data; Telling the Story of your Data) for project staff, service leads, evaluation teams, and funders in the public and not-for-profit sectors. Modules can be purchased individually or as a four-module bundle.
- Implementation Training Standalone training course for policymakers and practitioners covering the planning, design, and execution of policy and programme implementation.
- Change Management Training Standalone training course providing frameworks for project management, collaborative working, and change management to help teams plan, clarify roles, and track progress.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 15 years of sustained engagement with government departments and statutory agencies across Ireland and Northern Ireland
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Centre for Effective Services
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Centre for Effective Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Centre for Effective Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Health Service Executive (HSE)coreCES has an ongoing strategic partnership with the HSE across multiple workstreams including implementation of Ireland's national mental health policy ('Sharing the Vision'), the Adult Palliative Care Policy (2025-2026), the Child and Youth Mental Health Action Plan, child safeguarding in adult mental health services, COVID-19 community testing operations, and the Nurture Programme for infant health.
- HSE Child and Youth Mental Health Office (CYMHO)coreEngaged by CYMHO to develop a 3-Year Child and Youth Mental Health Action Plan (published February 2024) to transform child and youth mental health services in Ireland, informed by the Maskey Report and MHC CAMHS recommendations.
- The Beachaire Fund / Community Foundation IrelandcoreThe Beachaire Fund, a charitable trust under Community Foundation Ireland, commissioned CES to conduct qualitative research (June 2022 - July 2023) on the power of community education to support lone parents, resulting in the report 'The Power of Community Education' launched by the Minister for Education in April 2024.
- Parenting FocuscoreParenting Focus commissioned the SOLUS project (April 2022 - September 2023), funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, to research financial vulnerabilities of single parents in Northern Ireland. CES and Parenting Focus jointly developed recommendations for government and service providers.
- National Lottery Community Fund, Northern IrelandcoreEngaged to support implementation of the Reaching Out, Supporting Families Programme (2015-2022) - 36 projects over 7 years with a £25 million investment. CES helped organisations implement projects, work better together, and capture learning from the investment.
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY)coreCommissioned CES to undertake a comprehensive review of Youth Information Centres and state-funded youth information services across Ireland (2023), funded at an annual budget of €1.5 million. The review provided a robust evidence base to guide future policy development.
- Respond Housing AssociationcorePartnered with Respond Housing, Ireland's leading housing association, to co-design a new housing management approach ('A National Service with a Local Response') drawing from international best practice, stakeholder consultation, and service design tools including logic modelling and journey mapping.
- University of Limerick and Queen's University BelfastcoreCES is a partner in the Stable Lives, Safer Streets Programme (2021-2026), a cross-border research hub funded with over €3 million from the North-South Research Programme. The programme develops evidence to support policy responses to youth crime in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with direct engagement from policy makers and law enforcers.
- Tusla - The Child and Family AgencyminorRepresented on the cross-functional working group for the development of the National Policy for Child Safeguarding and Wellbeing within Adult Mental Health Services. Tusla collaborated with the HSE and CES in developing this policy.
- Children's Research Network of Ireland and Northern Ireland (CRNINI)coreEstablished by CES in 2010 as an independent all-island network building relationships across research, practice and policy. CES developed the network, grew membership, and hosted annual conferences. The network is currently hosted by the Childhood and Human Development Research Centre at UCD.
- The Parenting Network / Prevention and Early Intervention NetworkcoreEstablished by CES in 2010 as a Special Interest Group, evolved into The Parenting Network aiming to positively influence research, policy and practice to improve outcomes for children and families. Promotes cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration. Now hosted by the Prevention and Early Intervention Network.
- Implementation Network of Ireland and Northern IrelandcoreSet up by CES in 2011 to share real world experience of implementing policy and practice. The network has over 160 members across Ireland and Northern Ireland. CES provides secretariat support and is represented on the Steering Group. Tusla Child and Family Agency provides funding support.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Centre for Effective Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) Research Unit: In-house research and evaluation function within the Irish government department that commissions CES — relevant as the closest commissioning counterpart in children's policy, sharing overlapping subject matter on YIC review and family policy evaluation.
Broad incumbents
- RAND Europe: Major research and policy organisation providing evidence-based research, evaluation, and implementation support to governments — overlapping with CES in research/evaluation for public sector clients, but operating at much larger global scale and through a for-profit subsidiary model.
- The King's Fund: UK health and care policy think tank working on health system reform, evaluation, and implementation — overlaps with CES's HSE-facing mental health, palliative care, and child safeguarding workstreams as a broader healthcare policy incumbent.
- Nesta: UK innovation foundation applying evidence, design, and implementation methods to public service challenges — directly comparable on applying implementation science and service design to public sector commissioning, though operating at broader innovation scale.
- Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE): Improvement agency for social care and health in England — comparable as a publicly backed implementation and knowledge mobilisation body focused on social policy outcomes, though UK-only and government-arm's-length rather than independent non-profit.
Emerging players
- Centre for Homelessness Impact: What Works-style evidence intermediary focused on homelessness prevention and social policy in the UK and Ireland — overlapping with CES on evidence synthesis, evaluation, and translating research into frontline practice for vulnerable populations.
Regional players
- Carnegie UK: UK and Ireland charitable foundation focused on public service reform, wellbeing, and inclusive communities — directly comparable to CES's cross-jurisdictional (NI/ROI) remit, public policy thought leadership, and convening role across both territories.
Direct peers
- Tavistock Institute of Human Relations: UK-based organisation working at the intersection of social science, organisational change, and public service evaluation — strongly comparable to CES on facilitation, programme and change management, and applied research for social policy clients.
- Institute of Public Care (Oxford Brookes): Provides research, evaluation, and workforce development for public sector and social care organisations in the UK — directly comparable on evidence-based practice, service design, and capacity building for public services.
- What Works Network members (e.g., What Works for Children's Social Care): Evidence intermediary generating and synthesising research on children's services and family support — strong comparability to CES's Prevention and Early Intervention heritage, child safeguarding work with HSE, and family/parenting research portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Centre for Effective Services social profiles
Digital presenceCentre for Effective Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Centre for Effective Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Centre for Effective Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Centre for Effective Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Centre for Effective Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Centre for Effective Services
What does Centre for Effective Services do?
Centre for Effective Services is a not-for-profit professional-services organisation that designs, develops, implements, and evaluates public policies and services on behalf of government departments, statutory agencies, and community and voluntary-sector organisations across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its work spans research and evaluation, policy development, facilitation, programme and change management, and implementation support, complemented by a fee-based training programme covering evaluation, implementation, and change management.
Is Centre for Effective Services a public or private company?
Centre for Effective Services is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Centre for Effective Services founded?
Centre for Effective Services was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Centre for Effective Services based?
Centre for Effective Services is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Centre for Effective Services make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government and statutory commissioning is the primary driver. The others are training and capacity-building fees.
Who are Centre for Effective Services's main competitors?
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) Research Unit is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are RAND Europe, The King's Fund, Nesta and Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). Centre for Homelessness Impact is listed as an emerging player. Carnegie UK is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Tavistock Institute of Human Relations, Institute of Public Care (Oxford Brookes) and What Works Network members (e.g., What Works for Children's Social Care).
Does Centre for Effective Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Centre for Effective Services.
What industry is Centre for Effective Services in?
Centre for Effective Services's product category is Public Policy Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAEAC, Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening), with a secondary code of HLAJALAA, Government Public Health Grantmaking & Program Offices. Its NAICS code is 541720 and its SIC code is 8741.