‘Together we strengthen schools’

DUO-Onderwijs is an independent research and consultancy firm with a unique network and access to education. Its team of researchers, educationalists and consultants knows everything about education and education professionals. Together, they help schools in various ways: with research, advice and solutions. “Our mission is clear,” explains director Erik Trimp. “Together we strengthen schools. That is why we work not only for schools, but also for school relations such as ministries, knowledge centres and publishers. Our aim is to really strengthen education”.

Schools know DUO-Onderwijs for its extensive qualitative and quantitative surveys. From image and employee surveys to studies on a variety of topics. “We help schools with strategic issues concerning the organisation, staff, students and parents, but also with practical matters such as ‘how can I improve my school's intake?’” explains Trimp. “Because of our 100% focus on education and our years of experience, we have really become experts in education. Quality is of paramount importance here”. DUO-Onderwijs is ISO-certified and a member of industry associations such as DIN, Data & Insights Network and VOR, Association for Education Research.

An important advantage of the years of experience is the huge benchmark DUO Education has built up. “For schools, it is interesting to compare their own research results with the national picture or, on the contrary, with similar schools. This allows you to put the results in better perspective and that gives much more insight.

The personalised approach is one of the aspects that set DUO-Onderwijs apart. Each school has a dedicated consultant and is assigned a dedicated project manager as its contact person, who leads the research team and remains the point of contact throughout the process. “There are plenty of standard research questionnaires available, but we believe in customisation,” Trimp stresses. “It is much better to zoom in on a school's specific situation and demand. That is why we link our surveys to a school's vision and policy and help them with possible follow-up steps.
Only then does a report really start to have value.”

An example illustrates this approach: “Take two schools that have just merged. Then the aim is to develop a common culture that exploits the strengths of both schools. It is then good to ask concrete questions in the employee survey. By asking whether employees perceive that this culture is actually being worked on and how they experience it, you know whether the measures taken are working.”

DUO-Onderwijs increasingly receives questions about what schools can do with the results of research. How can a school translate research results into concrete actions? What communication strategy fits best? “To answer these questions, we have invested heavily in our advisory team in recent years. For instance, in addition to new advisers, we have hired educationists who can think along with the school.”.

The first step is usually a presentation of the research results to the board, management or team. “You then take people through the results and help them see connections,” Trimp explains. But consulting goes beyond just presenting figures. “We ask reflection questions that lead to discussion and, also important, to a shared understanding about the outcomes. Sometimes points for improvement are sensitive, in which case it is precisely important to pay attention to them and work on support.”

That process is step-by-step: from one-to-one meetings to internal workshop sessions with the whole team to deepen insights, to actually taking actions. “Together with schools, we look for concrete solutions. In some cases, we also help with implementation,” says Trimp. “For example, in the field of communication and image, we have all the knowledge in-house. But we also have it for several other topics, or know the way to the right knowledge centre.”

DUO-Onderwijs's strength lies in its combination of experience and innovation. The team consists of subject-experienced seniors and young professionals fresh out of university who bring new techniques and ways of working. In addition, DUO-Onderwijs works with a network of selected freelancers. “They share the same mission and values and are selected because of their love for and knowledge of education,” Trimp states. This focus has earned the agency a client rating of 9.6, an achievement that Trimp says does not come without reason. “We achieve this rating because we are reliable and knowledgeable, but above all because of our personal approach.”

In addition to its direct work for and with schools, DUO-Onderwijs works for school relations. “For example, we work for ministries, knowledge centres and publishing houses. For these organisations, DUO-Onderwijs conducts various surveys, such as on image, needs, themes and trends. The agency also advises on communication, the improvement of services to organisational and stakeholder issues.” Finally, through its media partners, DUO-Onderwijs offers the opportunity to communicate with schools in a relevant and effective way.

For DUO-Onderwijs, school relations are important. “They are often the experts on certain topics. That provides a wealth of additional knowledge that we can use to strengthen schools.”

Our media partners play an important role. Through councils, trade associations, unions, and publishers, DUO-Onderwijs has unique access to schools and education professionals. “We represent nearly 70% of the leading media in education. We help them with member and reader research, event organisation, and the development and management of their media. We do this for associations such as the VO-raad, AOb, CNV, the Association of Teachers of Living Languages and titles such as Onderwijsblad, Didactief, Twelve to Eighteen and Juf en Meester.”

In all these collaborations, DUO-Onderwijs follows a clear principle. “We select very critically at the gate,” Trimp stresses. “If we know that education is not helped with a particular organisation, we will not work for it. Everything we do is in the interest of the school, with respect for education and aimed at strengthening schools.”

Because although DUO-Onderwijs has continued to evolve for 30 years, its mission remains the same:
Together, we strengthen schools.