Clarity in Reflection. Precision in Action.
Theory-based evaluation and monitoring for a changing world. Supporting evidence-based decisions at the interface of people and nature.
Services
Mirrormere Labs specialises in monitoring and theory-based impact evaluation, moving beyond "what" happened to understand "how" and "why" change occurs. We bridge the gap between grassroots reality and high-level strategy through a data-driven approach tailored to your needs:
Analytical Clarity: Applying the right evaluation methodologies to complex projects to ensure that every recommendation is rooted in rigorous, reproducible evidence.
Rigorous Field Research: Combining large-scale surveys with deep-dive qualitative insights from Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs).
Spatial Understanding: Leveraging Satellite Earth Observation and spatial data to monitor environmental change, infrastructure development, and land use in real-time.
Sectors
Mirrormere Labs works at the interface of nature and people. We recognise that environmental challenges cannot be solved in isolation from the social and economic realities of the communities that live within them. Our work focuses on the interdependency of these systems, providing the evidence-based monitoring and evaluation required to ensure that conservation efforts and development goals reinforce one another. Key sectors include:
Biodiversity conservation
Poverty reduction
Livelihoods
Renewable energy
Climate adaptation
Natural resource management
Projects
Mid-term review of Habitat restoration, sustainable conservation for Niger Delta red colobus monkey
01
Nigeria
NIRAS / UK Defra
A mid-term review of a UK Defra Biodiversity Challenge Funds project, to appraise progress and refine strategic direction. By rigorously evaluating the project's Theory of Change and underlying assumptions, I am verifying reported outcomes against OECD-DAC criteria. This process synthesises document analysis with primary data collection—including Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions—to ensure conservation efforts are evidence-based and effectively triangulated.
2026-Present
Achieving Sustainable Forest Management through Community Managed Protected Areas in Madagascar
02
Madagascar
UK Defra / Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
For the Defra Biodiverse Landscapes Fund project ‘Achieving Sustainable Forest Management through Community Managed Protected Areas in Madagascar’, I led the MEL workstream focused on the quasi-experimental approach. I was responsible for the design of the quasi-experimental sampling strategy and the associated household survey instruments. I also advised on remote sensing and GIS for programme monitoring, while leading rigorous data QA and supporting outcome reporting. This work ensured that community-led conservation and livelihood enhancement goals were tracked through robust, evidence-based MEL systems.
2022-2025
Renewable Energy for Maputo (REFORMA)
03
Mozambique
IDRC / FCDO
2019-2022
For this FCDO and IDRC-funded initiative, I led the socioeconomic research workstream to improve the sustainability of the woodfuel sector in southern Mozambique. I designed the sampling frame and household survey instruments to create a panel dataset, while overseeing the full data lifecycle—from training enumerators and coordinating fieldwork to performing rigorous quality assurance and analysis. I also synthesised these findings into policy-oriented reporting, which supported direct briefings for the Government of Mozambique.
Using geospatial data techniques in response to COVID-19 social distancing requirements in Bulawayo.
04
Zimbabwe
Scottish Funding Council
Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, this rapid-response project utilised satellite imagery and geospatial analytics to support municipal pandemic planning. I supported the development of methodologies to classify urban satellite imagery, enabling the creation of high-resolution building density maps. These outputs empowered municipal planning officials to identify high-risk, densely populated areas, directly informing the targeted implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate viral transmission.
2020
About me
Dr. Peter Hargreaves has 8-years’ combined research and professional experience working on sustainable development, poverty reduction, livelihoods, and conservation. He is a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) expert, with experience collaborating with a range of international philanthropic, research and development partners including Rockefeller Foundation, IDRC, FCDO, NERC, The Scottish Funding Council, and UK Defra.
With a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, Peter is driven by the need to understand impact at every level. He is particularly interested in approaches that bring the 'big picture' into focus without losing sight of the local context. Peter has extensive experience synthesising granular field data from household surveys with the expansive perspective of satellite remote sensing to track regional socio-environmental changes while deeply understanding the socioeconomic realities behind them.
Technical Specialisations
Evaluation & Research Design
Experimental & Quasi-Experimental Design: Specialist in Power Analysis and Multi-Stage Sampling strategies for large-scale, complex interventions.
Theory-Based Evaluation: Applying Contribution Analysis and Theory of Change (ToC) development to identify causal links in complex environments.
Quality Assurance: Technical review and auditing of data quality, programme reporting, Results Frameworks, and Indicator development.
Data Intelligence & Analytics
Socio-Environmental Remote Sensing: Integration of GIS and satellite imagery with socioeconomic datasets to track impact at scale.
Advanced Statistics: Management and analysis of large-scale, complex longitudinal and cross-sectional databases.
Instrument Design: Development of rigorous household surveys and qualitative data collection tools (KIIs/FGDs).
Capacity Building & Knowledge Transfer
Technical Training: Mentorship in programming, statistical analysis, and spatial data for local partners and academic cohorts.
High-Level Communication: Translating technical findings for international conferences and high-impact journals such as Nature Climate Change.
Geographic Experience
Selected Publications & Policy Impact
Peter’s research bridges the gap between planetary-scale Earth Observation and local-level livelihood analysis, focusing on forest management, sustainable energy, and urban resilience.
Climate Policy & Forest Management
Wells, G.J., Ryan, C.M., Artur, L., Ribeiro, N., Bowers, S., Hargreaves, P.K., Fernando, J., Farao, A. and Fisher, J.A. (2022). "Tree harvesting is not the same as deforestation." Nature Climate Change, 12(4), pp. 307–309.
Júnior, J.F., Ribeiro, N., Wells, G., Artur, L., Ryan, C., Farão, A.A., Hargreaves, P.K., Bowers, S. and Fisher, J. (2022). "Produção Sustentável de Carvão Vegetal em Moçambique: Um Contributo ao Anteprojecto da Lei Florestal." Destaque Rural, 179, p. 13.
Geospatial & Earth Observation Analytics
Hargreaves, P.K. and Watmough, G.R. (2021). "Satellite Earth observation to support sustainable rural development." International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 103, p. 102466.
Gibson, L., Sibanda, B.N., Gwate, O., Sibanda, S., Hargreaves, P.K., and Watmough, G.R. (2020). "Bulawayo Operational Observatory and mapping in response to COVID-19." (Working Paper/Technical Report).