We believe research is strongest when conducted by those most connected to the work.
On-REP
On-REP is our Online Research Education Platform. It is is designed to be easy to use, with courses in English, Burmese, Karen, and Thai. We will be adding more research courses in 2023. We are especially excited to pilot our Enumerator course. If you are interested in early access to the On-REP site, please follow this link here.
ABOUT US
The Tea Leaf Center Co., Ltd. is a social enterprise research and training consulting firm based in Thailand and working throughout Southeast Asia. We seek to shift the balance of power in international development and research toward local organizations, communities and individuals directly impacted by the issues they are working on.
areas of work
What is ‘Local’?
At the Tea Leaf Center, we define ‘local organizations’ as organizations, however formal or informal, that are rooted in the context in which they work, and/or are directly impacted by the issue they are working on. This might be:
geographic – for example, a community-based organization comprised of members of one village or an urban settlement;
issue-based – for example, land rights defenders from diverse parts of a country who work together on advocacy and research; or
identity-based – for example, an organization led by and for people with disabilities, working within the country or other geographic area where its members are based.
OUR MODEL
We don’t seek equal partnerships. Local organizations are on the front-line, therefore they have a greater right to drive research and interpret data than we do. They take the lead, and we help from behind as needed.
We have clients, not beneficiaries. We provide professional services and are accountable to our clients, who set the terms and boundaries of the partnership.
All clients are treated equally, and all clients are charged equitably. We have a sliding scale based on an organization’s ability to pay for our services, and occasionally offer support free of charge when a client cannot pay. We also seek grants to provide services for organizations and individuals who cannot afford to pay for them directly.
INCOME & PRO-BONO WORK (2021)
87%
Research support & MEL projects
10%
Training
0%
Donor
We have provided more than a quarter of our trainings and research support for free or at a reduced rate. By 2021, the TLC was able to fully support our pro-bono work through paid-for projects. The Tea Leaf Center has been able to provide pro-bono support (research support as well as low cost or free trainings) estimated at more than $27,000 USD. While the Tea Leaf Center has reduced our reliance on donor funding, we recognize the importance of donor organizations to support our work and the work our partners do. If you would like to support our work, please consider supporting our pro-bono and reduced cost trainings through direct donation. Co
SERVICES
EXAMPLES OF OUR SERVICES
PARTNERS AND CLIENTS
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT OUR WORK
“Context-driven and great presentation style with integrated practical tasks for learners throughout the course and for all steps of a research process. The examples and exercises are really informative and enjoyable”
– Salai Van Cung Lian, Advisor | Chinbridge Institute
“It was a pleasure working with the Tea Leaf Center. The TLC team demonstrated flexibility and was able to accommodate work beyond the agreed scope of work to improve the overall quality of research. Together, we were able to deliver an excellent, rich, and informative report for the donor. We are looking forward to working with TLC again.”
– Country Director, Myanmar
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
“It was nice working with The Tea Leaf Center fast response, flexibility and being willing to tailer the work based on our needs were highly appreciated. Their work is well organized, sharing progress through interim report and final draft for review to avoid misunderstandings. We are very happy with the final report which will help us derive insights for the future and are looking forward to further cooperation with The Tea Leaf Center.”
-IOGT-NTO
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