Samantha Roche

Sam is a highly empathic, creative and intelligent researcher. Her work is about appropriate ways in which to centre often-unheard voices; and in encouraging people’s lived experience to inform policy and projects in active and meaningful ways.

Sam has over 10 years of experience working on Australian policy, consultation, and program and service evaluation. She leads co-design research projects, workshops and training groups with an emphasis on human-centred design practice. She has worked at the federal government and community levels with clients such as Austrade, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, the Department of Home Affairs; Family Safety Victoria and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Sam has a particular interest in working with asylum seekers, newly-arrived migrants, and vulnerable children; and with First Nations Australians — learning from Indigenous concepts and thinking, and honouring this knowledge in research process and design.

Sam specialises in deep listening, strategic design and data literacy. With each project, she structures intentional research in order to create meaningful dialogues between communities, leaders and organisations; delivering conscientious and considered products, systems, services and policy.

Sam holds Bachelor degrees in Psychology and Sociology, and a Master in Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development from the Australian National University. She has previous experience as a social worker which has helped shape her perspectives on the delivery of health, social services and mental health policy and projects, and the way she seeks opportunities to embed lived experience in welfare policy and delivery.