Matthew Jones
Principal Consultant
Offices: United Kingdom
Email: matthew.jones@technopolis-group.com
Dr Matthew Jones is a Principal Consultant in the Green team at Technopolis with over 16 years of policy and evaluation experience in environment, energy, and the green transition. He has managed and delivered a wide range of programme evaluations, impact assessments, strategic studies, toolkits and trainings for national government departments, the European Commission, UN and World Bank. He has expertise in a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research methods and evaluation approaches.
Matthew’s recent energy-focussed work includes managing a research project on disruptive technologies with relevance to Net Zero for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), as well as leading two process evaluations of the first joint electrolytic hydrogen support round for DESNZ. In addition, he also recently led the delivery of an electrolytic (and other non-CCUS) hydrogen M&E Framework and M&E Plan for DESNZ and he delivered a longitudinal case study as part of a separate theory-based evaluation of CCUS Innovation Projects for DESNZ. He also led the initial stages of a strategic study for DG CLIMA that has explored the issues and policy options for EU emissions trading after 2030.
Matthew’s recent environment-focussed work includes an evaluation study of the Resources and Waste Strategy for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where he is leading the policy evaluation component as well as supporting a programme of theory-based impact evaluation to provide actionable insights on the success or otherwise of the strategy’s key provisions and extent of behavioural change (the Strategy’s 12 policies include recycling, a plastics ban, food waste, and waste crime). In addition, Matthew also recently led the development of a Theory of Change Toolkit for Defra, with an integration of complexity-based system considerations and as Defra policies and strategies operate across a complex landscape of interlinked economic, social, and environmental systems. The first “Evaluation Strategy for Defra” (published Sept-23) incorporates this Toolkit as part of the Strategy.
Matthew also recently led the climate action, environment, resource efficiency & raw materials thematic area (Societal Challenge 5) for an ex-post evaluation of Horizon 2020 with a focus on the green transition for DG Research and Innovation, and where this included case studies on adaption, biodiversity, and the circular economy. He was also a lead expert on the food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture & environment thematic area (Cluster 6) for a subsequent interim evaluation of Horizon Europe with a focus on the green transition for DG Research and Innovation.
Before joining Technopolis Group in 2020, Matthew worked for DNV Energy and AEA Technology (now Ricardo) as a consultant and with the European Commission as an independent consultant. His work during this time included delivering evaluation studies and projects for UK government, DG Energy, DG Environment, UNEP, UNIDO, UNFCCC, the World Bank, the Turkish government, and included leading the development of an M&E system for the UN Climate Technology Centre and Network as part of a strategic partnership.
Matthew holds a PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and spent his early career in science, where he became a Chartered Physicist and worked in academia.
