DS10: ‘Where’s the evidence? Making smarter policy choices’

Chair: Abdool Kara, Chief Executive, Swale District CouncilSpeakers:Neil Wholey, Westminster City Council and Laria Donna Molloy, Director of Implementation at The What Works Centre for Early Intervention EIFDr Clive Grace, Knowledge Navigator

Local Government Needs….….and LG Navigator Next Steps

Local Government Knowledge Navigator

16th October 2014

Solace Summit

Demand side - needs

Main focus on current and often complex and multi-faceted problems

Often not new issues, but now with austerity twist

Diverse subjects but some emerging themes: Cross local public service/place based research

on complex/cross cutting problems How to achieve radical change Being more ‘intelligent around customers and

communities’ - more ‘refined, granular and intelligent’ in understanding needs and responding to them

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Demand side - Topics

Local economic levers Public with learning disabilities Public health Public services in a digital setting Demand management Re-organization / restructuring – ‘new organizational

models’ The future shape of local government Commissioning: models, what works, readiness of the

private and voluntary sectors Children and Young People - mining/accessing what is

known Troubled families - what works, those on the margins,

demand management Using data 4

Accessible, usable and reliable knowledge and evidence

‘Navigation’ aids and segmentation – who needs what knowledge and bringing it to their attention

Translation and transferability - help in understanding replicability and application in local contexts / localities etc.

Focus on local government perspective on issues – national policy needs not necessarily the same as local needs

Co-definition of problems as well as co-production of solutions

Timeliness - answering today’s questions today

Research methodologies which support innovation - may need more than ‘evolutionary innovation’

Demand side: ‘Functional Needs’

Recommendations: Four Themes

Changing cultures Improving connectivity Embedded research Strategic opportunities for intervention

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Connecting the disconnected requires more than one-off interventions or exhortation so we recommend:

Local government leadership: LGA leadership powerful – promote research as an

asset; Equipping councils to make the most of the asset

(evidence and learning as part of Peer Review?) Role for Solace, the professions and professional bodies

in promoting awareness and use; Local authority access to good practice e.g. showcasing

and building on great examples, building capacity to use external knowledge, e.g. through sharing across authorities;

Potential role for Local Authorities Research & Intelligence Association

1: Changing Cultures

1. Changing Cultures contd.

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More actively deploying the range of ESRC/Research Council tools and instruments with focus and marketing flair:

Opportunities within current Knowledge Exchange and Knowledge Transfer Partnership methodologies

Studentships Venture Fund Navigator activity to help stimulate this /

assess what works.

Developing / improving long-term relationships Stronger local government influence on Research

Council programmes, committees and advisory boards. Processes / instruments to identify local government

issues More systematic (and segmented) ways to access/exploit

the knowledge Greater emphasis in review process on demonstration of

local government need Enhanced role for practitioner reviewers Where relevant, require demonstration and evidence of

local government engagement / impact.

1: Changing Cultures contd.

Research and local government need a modern space through which to connect

The ESRC Retail Data Knowledge Navigator is an example – parallels in the weak sector/research connectivity.

A local government/research web site would be a space: As a capital investment in connective infrastructure As a research ‘dating’ space To showcase good practice For learning For broader ESRC engagement with the local

government community

Access to research knowledge not just research reports

2: Improving Connectivity

2: Improving Connectivity contd.

A ‘Local Government What Works? Centre’ (or equivalent): Founded on the ‘Institutional’ logic of UK local government Apply to local government functions not covered by other

‘What Works?’ centres Scope includes the ‘corporate’, place-shaping and community

planning responsibilities of local government, local ‘wicked issue’ problems that cross policy and functional boundaries, and issues of horizontal and vertical inter-governmental relationships.

The Centre would exploit the ‘natural laboratory’ of UK local government to inform what works in different places and why, and how lessons from research and evidence can best be communicated and applied.

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Local Government needs: Close and timely support to draw at point of development and/or

delivery To address current issues and in ‘real time’ with researchers who

understand and engage in problem definition and in developing solutions, with feedback during the research as well as at the end

‘Embedded’ rather than arms-length, research. Research support could be a:

Gateway (‘portals’) to existing research knowledge and evidence; Translator of research findings so they are available and

accessible; Animateur to help to identify research issues and sources of

evidence; and Impartial recorder of the ongoing delivery and development work.

We think that this is potentially an essential ‘new’ instrument albeit one drawing on practices familiar to some; and which

Is researcher delivered but practitioner/researcher co-defined and practitioner-led

3: Embedded Research

4: Strategic opportunities for Intervention

Benefits from a significant programme (or programmes) at ‘scale’ on strategically important area/s;

This should focus on high profile area/s of policy and practice and demonstrate embedded research

Transfer of responsibility for public health to local government is a good candidate – an appetite for evidence about what works, and linkages to social care and other major programmes and problems at local level.

Suggest a joint and significant programme 2-3 years, co-funded by a range of agencies.

Value also given tradition of research and evidence in public health and would focus on connecting public health with local government’s ‘well-being’ focus, and support implementation of central government’s agenda in this area.

Other topic areas might benefit from a similar approach – for example on local economic development and initiatives on these two themes could connect to and complement the ‘What Works’ initiative.

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Local Government Knowledge Navigator:Next Steps

LGKN 1 – January 2013 to March 2015 ESRC, Solace, and LGA have agreed a ‘KN2’ Till then the LGKN will focus on:

Work with the Impact Accelerator Account holders and the regional hubs;

Develop the connectivity strand (especially working up proposals for web enablement); and a

Smooth transition to LGKN2.14

Thinking ahead to 2015-2017 - What ESRC would like to see:

1. 4 nation coverage, dependent on demand and commitment from the nations,2. Active management of the A2A action plan,3. Development of indicators of research use and understanding of academic research by LG

(RC funded and other funded),4. A web resource focused on providing information to LAs on what RC’s are for, and how LG

can work with academic researchers (integrated with existing sites) and info on first point of contact service,

5. LG sector partners providing a first point of contact/signpost service for LAs interested in academic collaborations. We would support this “service” with information about IAAs etc,

6. An annual brief “State of LG” report for Research Councils setting out the results of consultation with LG in the four nations:i. Current priority issues facing LG across the nations,ii. Areas of research that the RCs should prioritise (confirm existing in A2A would be fine),iii. Any priority groups in the public services that RC’s should be aware of.

7. University based LG engagement champions: one each in NI, Wales and Scotland (first phase) plus English regions (second phase), developed with clear evidence of demand,

8. Embedding of any future ESRC investment in LGKN within the LG sector.

Use of ‘embedded research’ approach deploying an ESRC Fellow funded mainly by ESRC with Solace cash contribution and Solace/ESRC contribution in kind

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The Local Government Knowledge Navigators

Professor Tim Allen

Dr Clive Grace

Professor Steve Martin

Contact: clivegrace@hotmail.com16