The International Public Policy Observatory 2
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Science, Tech, Eng and Public Policy
Abstract
The UK has a strong infrastructure of policy-relevant research and what works centres. Our aim is to complement this and to work closely with existing organisations. The primary gaps we have identified through conversation with policy-makers are around broader cross-cutting issues, which are now seen as priorities by governments at every level. So our primary aim is to work across these specialisms and help more strategic action. Our engagement with decision-makers at many levels confirms that there is a need for this, particularly as difficult decisions need to be made about what to prioritise in goals such as levelling up or decarbonisation. A related gap is the lack of focus on some of the overlapping issues - such as how to ensure that decarbonisation raises productivity and growth in poorer regions, or how to ensure that post COVID recovery addresses inequalities that have worsened through the crisis.
Our experience in IPPO1 confirms that close engagement with policy-makers from the start makes it more likely to research will be acted on. It has also confirmed our contention that dialogue is as effective as written outputs for ensuring evidence is used - as a result we intend to continue our focus on events, roundtables, discussions and bigger events. Feedback from policy-makers has also encouraged two other shifts of emphasis. The first is to provide more comprehensive systems maps of key issues that can help policy-makers understand the key points of leverage, while also highlighting where evidence may be missing (which we describe in more detail below). The second is to cover not only proven interventions where evidence is strong, but also innovations that are promising but not yet proven.
Our experience in IPPO1 confirms that close engagement with policy-makers from the start makes it more likely to research will be acted on. It has also confirmed our contention that dialogue is as effective as written outputs for ensuring evidence is used - as a result we intend to continue our focus on events, roundtables, discussions and bigger events. Feedback from policy-makers has also encouraged two other shifts of emphasis. The first is to provide more comprehensive systems maps of key issues that can help policy-makers understand the key points of leverage, while also highlighting where evidence may be missing (which we describe in more detail below). The second is to cover not only proven interventions where evidence is strong, but also innovations that are promising but not yet proven.
Organisations
| Description | Impact to date has largely been in the form of stimulating discussion and debate, supporting ongoing engagement with policymakers, stimulating new policy demand and informing ongoing policy considerations. IPPO's 'innovations in evidence' events series have attracted strong audiences and helped to explore different approaches to evidence use in policy, as well as prompting follow-up contacts for further policy engagement (e.g. current systems mapping project with West Yorkshire Scientific Advisory Group). We have also built strong relationships with a number of local and regional authorities around the UK enabling us to enhance embedded policy engagement in our ongoing work programme, including around innovation districts and fiscal constraint in local government. IPPO's Winter School with the Northern Ireland government received highly positive feedback from colleagues and has prompted a number of further requests for IPPO work. Our first RER into home energy change has informed ongoing policy discussions with DSNZ and is leading to further engagement with the Social Market Foundation. An IPPO review of current systems and structures to support the use of social and behavioural science in emergencies has informed the work o the Cross-Government Social and Behavioural Science for Emergencies Steering Group. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | IPPO Winter School |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Local data project |
| Amount | £145,957 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | UCL Public Policy Expert Engagement Award from UCL's Research England QR-PSF award |
| Amount | £40,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 07/2023 |
| Title | IPPO's SEPPA Method |
| Description | As a result of these considerations and in drawing on existing best practices, we introduce our new SEPPA Method, called as such because it is a means to map Systems, Evidence and Power for Policy Action. The method comprises a five-step mapping process to produce systems maps with an explicit focus on utility for policymakers working on a particular issue. The SEPPA Method comprises the following five stages: 1. SKETCHING First, we try to do a rough sketch - who are the key players, what are the main causal links, what are both good and bad outcomes. 2. COLLABORATIVE MAPPING Second, we use this sketch to bring together a wider group of experts and stakeholders to populate it and enrich it, until we have a more comprehensive map 3. EVIDENCE ASSESSMENT Third, we overlay this with the evidence - how well are the key causal links understood, how much is known about what works, and how can we understand the key points of leverage and influence 4. POLICY DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT Fourth, we then work with policymakers to try out different options and think through their dynamic effects (potentially combined with the many available innovation and creativity methods, as well as learning from promising innovations) 5. REFINEMENT Finally, an analysis of the chosen options is enriched with other methods such as quantitative modelling, stakeholder engagement, and addressing capacity needs. Our belief is that by the end of this process, we will help provide a much better understanding of the dynamics in play, the options for policymakers, and how they could be implemented. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Worked with external stakeholders to deliver this method of systems mapping, which to date include 4 active or completed systems maps including West Yorkshire Combined Authority. |
| URL | https://theippo.co.uk/mapping-systems-for-policy-impact-introducing-ippos-seppa-method/ |
| Title | Decarbonising home energy rapid evidence review |
| Description | Carol Vigurs, JEREMY WILLIAMS |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | n/a |
| URL | https://t0p897.n3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Decarbonising-Home-Energy_update_R... |
| Description | Public Online Event: Addressing Economic Inactivity Among Over 50s |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Unemployment has reached historic lows in many parts of the UK. However, the economic inactivity rate, which had generally been falling in recent decades, increased during the pandemic. The increase in inactivity is being driven by two age-groups. Those aged 50+ and in the 16-24 group. During this online event, Prof Muiris MacCarthaigh and Dr Ka Ka Tsang from Queens University Belfast co-chaired a policy solutions roundtable on the challenges of economic inactivity faced by people aged 50 and over. This public roundtable from the International Public Policy Observatory offered a forum to share and learn from previous and current interventions. Invited expert speakers will reflect on what works and what doesn't work from current interventions to address economic inactivity within communities across the UK, and internationally. Speakers included: Prof. Graeme Roy, Professor of Economics at Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow and IPPO Scotland lead Dr Anne Devlin, Senior Research Fellow in the Economic Social Research Institute, Ireland a labour economics expert who has published widely on the economics of disability as well as economic inactivity in the North and South of Ireland. Mr Massimiliano Mascherini, Head of the Social Policies Unit at Eurofound who leads projects on unemployment of NEETS and older people as well as the labour participation of women. Kari Osterud, Director of the Senior Policy Centre in Norway Expert presentations were followed by a Q&A session, where the audience had the opportunity to pose questions to the panellists. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/addressing-economic-inactivity-among-over-50s-tickets-680241128527 |
| Description | Public Online Event: Addressing Economic Inactivity and Poor Health |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Unemployment has reached historic lows in many parts of the UK. However, the economic inactivity rate, which had generally been falling in recent decades, increased during the pandemic. Across the UK, much of the reason for this economic inactivity increase has been attributed to a rise in those reporting as 'long-term sick' (ONS, 2023). The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that the number of new disability benefit claimants doubled between 2021 and 2022. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility, 'the number of people citing long-term sickness as their main reason for being inactive has proven to be the most significant and persistent legacy of the pandemic, rising steadily over the past three years[and] now more than explains the overall increase in inactivity relative to pre-pandemic levels'. I?PPO's first event on the issue focused on economic inactivity and its policy solutions for people aged 50 and over. This event focused on economic inactivity and ill-health, which affects workers of all ages. This public roundtable from the International Public Policy Observatory offered a forum to share and learn from previous and current interventions. Invited expert speakers reflected on what works and what doesn't work from current interventions to address economic inactivity within communities across the UK, and internationally. Speakers included: Prof. Graeme Roy, Professor of Economics at Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow and IPPO Scotland lead Dr Robert Richardson, IPPO Scotland Research Associate Dr Anne Devlin, Senior Research Fellow in the Economic Social Research Institute, Ireland a labour economics expert who has published widely on the economics of disability as well as economic inactivity in the North and South of Ireland. Dave Berry, the Work and Skills Lead from Manchester City Council Dr Jakov Jandric, Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour from the Supporting Healthy Ageing at Work project (SHAW) Nicholas Werran, Partnerships Director at Breaking Barriers Innovations We also heard from public sector organisations who have delivered local interventions to address inactivity, particularly interventions which work with people who interact with the mental health system. Expert presentations were followed by a Q&A session, where the audience had the opportunity to pose questions to the panellists. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/addressing-economic-inactivity-and-poor-health-tickets-713610918467 |
| Description | Public Online Event: How Local Authorities Can Accelerate Policy Change Under Pressure |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The pandemic, cost of living crisis, and more recent council funding crisis have seen local authorities across the UK hit with immense pressure to deliver in a rapidly changing socio-economic climate. As service demands only continue to intensify, how can policymakers in local government best maximise their outputs under increasing pressure? In this event, we explored how local authorities can best deliver policy change during periods of crisis, and what conditions need to be in place to enable them to act. IPPO's latest report, "A review of England's local authority recovery plans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," co-produced in partnership with RREAL, has investigated COVID-19 recovery plans developed by local authorities across the country. The analysis compares cross-cutting themes and shares in-depth case studies of the experiences of those involved in the design and implementation of recovery plans at the local authority level. The event was chaired by Sarah Chaytor, Principal Investigator and Strategic Engagement Director of IPPO. The authors of the report will join local authority panellists included: Anthony Breach, Senior Analyst at Centre for Cities Paul Johnson, Head of Policy and Strategic Funding at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Rory Sherwood-Parkin, Corporate Lead for Policy & Insight at South Tyneside Council We discussed how crises can accelerate policy change, the benefits of collaborative working, the need to continue the trajectory for greater devolution, and the importance of increased flexibility in funding opportunities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-local-authorities-can-accelerate-policy-change-under-pressure-tic... |
| Description | Public Online Event: How to Commission Rapid Evidence Assessments for Policy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Our panel discussion event marked the release of IPPO"s latest report: "Rapid Evidence Assessments: A Guide for Commissioners, Funders, and Policymakers" written in partnership with POST, RREAL, and CAPE. As part of a series of IPPO events on Innovations in Evidence, we invited the panel to reflect on how to manage rapid reviews to get the best outcomes, lessons learned-or lost-from the COVID pandemic, and the future of rapid reviews for policymakers, followed by a Q&A. The event was chaired by Jonathan Breckon, Thematic Director, International Public Policy Observatory, and guest speakers included: • Andrea Tricco, Associate Professor, University of Toronto; lead co-author of the WHO guide on rapid reviews • Sandy Oliver, Deputy Director, EPPI Centre, and co-author of the Commissioning Guide • Harry Achillini, Evidence Synthesis Lead, Research and Evidence Division, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-use-rapid-evidence-assessments-in-policymaking-tickets-7266879... |
| Description | Public Online Event: How to Overcome Barriers to Consumer Green Purchase Decisions |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Householders purchasing heat pumps or other green interventions such as insulation are crucial to reducing carbon emissions from homes across the UK. Yet, research shows that more needs to be done to encourage consumers to upgrade their homes to make them greener. In this event, we used insights from behavioural science to explore the how and why of people's decisions about high-value green purchases based on the findings of IPPO and the UCL EPPI Centre's Realist Review of the evidence. This included a briefing on the key findings and recommendations for policymakers and others working in the field. Some of the key questions we considered included: What motivates householders to make green purchases such as heat pumps? How can some of the barriers to greener housing be overcome? Which interventions should government make to further decarbonise Britain's homes Guest speakers across policy and industry were also invited to contribute including Tom Hanford, Director of Develeco and Eoin Quiery, Waltham Forest's Head of Housing Strategy, and Niamh O'Regan, Researcher at the Social Market Foundation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-overcome-barriers-to-consumer-green-purchase-decisions-tickets... |
| Description | Public Online Event: How to Run Society-Wide Conversations on Routes and Choices for Net Zero |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Right across the world net zero policies are facing backlashes and U-turns. Reaching widespread agreement on policies that may involve short-term costs is bound to be difficult. In this session we looked to see if there are any lessons as to how societies can best handle complex conversations on net zero that involve losses as well as gains. How should party politics connect to non-party dialogues? What kinds of policies are most likely to secure widespread buy-in? What's the role of media and social media in shaping discourses on net zero? We drew on a range of international examples and evidence across public policy, academia, and thought leadership for leading society-wide conversations to inform what future conversations on the Net Zero future could look like, including: Future Generations work in Wales Voice Referendum in Australia and lessons for Net Zero Abortion legalisation referendums in Latin America The event was led by IPPO's Professor Sir Geoff Mulgan, with contributions from: Jane Davidson, Pro Vice-Chancellor Emeritus at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and author of #futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country, Stephen Sheal, Director of Government Affairs and Policy at the Net Zero Technology Centre and host of the Transition Talks podcast Dominic O' Sullivan, Professor in Political Science at Charles Sturt University Paola Bergallo - Associate Professor at the School of Law and Adjunct Researcher at the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica Adam Price, Assembly Member at the National Assembly for Wales/Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru This event was organised by the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO), which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council to mobilise evidence for policy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-run-society-wide-conversations-on-routes-and-choices-for-net-z... |
| Description | Public Online Event: IPPO Cities: Cities and Net Zero |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Cities produce over 70% of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, cities are key players in achieving carbon neutrality and mitigating climate change. As more cities establish strategies to reach "net zero", IPPO Cities convenes a special roundtable to discuss the innovative ways in which cities are pursuing their climate goals. This event builds on IPPO's work on net zero and explores the status quo of urban net zero strategies and practical learnings, bringing together a panel of city policymakers and net zero experts. The objective of this roundtable is to identify the key challenges and opportunities for cities to reach their net zero goals. The discussion included topics such as: Data-driven strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in cities Best practices for transitioning to renewable energy sources Innovative solutions for addressing transportation and building energy efficiency ? Speakers included: Councillor Marike Abrahamse, from the Committee on Mobility, Port, Economy and Climate of the Rotterdam City Council Camilla Hyslop, Net Zero Tracker Data Lead at Oxford Net Zero A?va Richardson, Sustainability Director, City of Baltimore David White, Director of Operations at Bristol City Leap T?roels Christian Jakobsen, from the Technical and Environmental Committee, City of Copenhagen T?he event was held via Zoom and chaired by IPPO's Professor Sir Geoff Mulgan and include a panel discussion with the opportunity for audience Q&A. T?his event was organised by IPPO Cities - part of the International Public Policy Observatory - and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ippo-cities-cities-and-net-zero-tickets-517389845957 |
| Description | Public Online Event: IPPO Cities: Local Democratic Renewal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | During this event city policymakers and experts discussed strategies and best practice for including citizens' voices in the democratic process at the city and local level. The panel shared insights on promoting inclusive and participatory decision-making processes in local government and re-invigorating democratic engagement. Themes included: I?nnovative tools for involving citizens in the decision-making process Strategies for engaging underrepresented communities in policymaking Best practices for citizen involvement in areas like budgeting or climate change Lessons learned from successful democratic engagement initiatives Speakers included: • Kristina Reinsalu, PhD, Programme Director of e-Democracy at the e-Governance Academy (Estonia) • Tomas Johnson, Senior Planner, Neighbourhood Planning & Engagement Team, Leeds City Council (UK) • Martijn de Vries, Lead Researcher Populytics and PhD candidate, Technical University of Delft (Netherlands) • Luke Raikes, City Councillor, Manchester City Council, and Research Director, Fabian Society (UK) The discussion was followed by a Q&A session, where the audience had the opportunity to pose questions to the panelists. T?his event was organised by IPPO Cities - part of the International Public Policy Observatory - and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ippo-cities-local-democratic-renewal-tickets-556631398497 |
| Description | Public Online Event: IPPO Cities: Place and Spatial Inequality |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The IPPO Cities' "Place and Spatial Inequality" policy roundtable brought together urban policymakers and experts to discuss key issues related to spatial inequality both within and between cities and regions. Subjects discussed included: Levelling Up - including strategies for promoting inclusive growth and addressing disparities between neighbourhoods, communities, cities, and regions Devolution - including opportunities to foster local control and enable place-specific decision-making; and Regional development - with examples of partnership and co-operative working to promote economic growth and sustainability responsive to local needs. S?peakers included: A?lexandra Jarvis - Head of North East Area Team, Cities and Local Growth Unit, UK Government M?ark Stamper - Principal Innovation and Economy Manager, North of Tyne Combined Authority A?dam Hawksbee - Deputy Director, Onward C?ouncillor Jason Brock - Leader, Reading Borough Council This event is a forum for policymakers and experts to exchange ideas, share best practice, and discuss new approaches to address the complex challenges facing cities and regions today. The discussion will be followed by a Q&A session, where the audience will have the opportunity to pose questions to the panellists. T?his event was organised by IPPO Cities - part of the International Public Policy Observatory - and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ippo-cities-place-and-spatial-inequality-tickets-621768505337 |
| Description | Public Online Event: IPPO Cities: The Process of Good Policymaking |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This event explored a range of global examples of good policymaking at the city level: cases where innovative policies supporting tangible, positive outcomes have been designed, planned and implemented. The focus of the session will be on the policy process itself and the key challenges and enablers that those working in city policy encounter. The event explored thematic areas including spatial planning, urban data, the urban environment and health and social justice. Mindful of increasing interest in partnership working, citizen engagement and co-production, this session will have a particular focus on policy approaches that have successfully built partnerships between the city, private and public actors and citizens. Speakers included: Councillor Shaista Aziz, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Communities and Culture, Oxford City Council Miguel Correia de Brito, European and International Affairs Adviser, Body for Economy and Innovation, Lisbon City Council Miran Gajšek, Head of Department for Urban Planning, City of Ljubljana T?he event will include a panel discussion with the opportunity for audience Q&A. The event was hosted by IPPO Cities - part of the International Public Policy Observatory - and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Public Online Event: New Digital Tools For Linking Evidence To Action |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | During this online, hour-long session, Sir Geoff Mulgan, who co-leads the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) and chairs a European Union programme on 'Whole of Government Innovation', discussed the changing landscape of evidence synthesis. We focused on new technological tools - new data sources, methods for analysis and synthesis, including generative AI, and methods for linking action to evidence, and how these can best be used in practice. The discussion explored how new tools are improving our ability to synthesise evidence and more clearly connect research evidence with public policy outcomes. Speakers included: Basil Mahfouz, a PhD student in UCL Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP), who is looking at novel ways to map the links between research supply and demand by looking at the dynamics of the spread of research. Tom Wilkinson, Chief Data Officer in the Scottish Government a specialist in the field of collective intelligence, who is building tools to help networks of people and computers make better decisions than any one individual. James Thomes, deputy director of the EPPI Centre, a leading centre of excellence for research synthesis and its methodology. B?oaz Kwakkel, Cisco Associate System Engineer, who will be discussing automatic policy paper generation using research embeddings and Large Language Models. A?drian Raudaschl, who has spearheaded Scopus AI at Elsevier T?his event was a forum for policymakers and experts to exchagne ideas, share best practice, and discuss new approaches to address the complex challenges of linking action to evidence. It was also an opportunity to explore which tools and approaches need more evaluation and assesment. The discussion was followed by a Q&A session, where the audience had the opportunity to pose questions to the panellists. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/new-digital-tools-for-linking-evidence-to-action-tickets-641254388137 |
| Description | Public Online Event: Responding to Mpox: Report Launch of the Research Project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This event launched the ESRC IPPO Mpox Project's report, Responding to Mpox: Communities, Communication, and Infrastructures. The project explored community organising and information sharing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in relation to Monkeypox, including the influence of social media and underserved communities. The project used primary qualitative research to identify lessons from the outbreak for future communication and produce relevant, evidence-based recommendations for policymakers. The event also featured guest remarks by Claire Dewsnap (President of the British Sexual Health and HIV Association) and Ceri Smith (Policy Head at Terrence Higgins Trust). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/responding-to-mpox-report-launch-of-the-research-project-tickets-5758... |
| Description | Public Online Event: Systems Mapping: Best Approaches and What Works for Policy Design |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | IPPO continued its events series on innovations in evidence with a discussion on systems maps, led by Sir Geoff Mulgan. This discussion looked at the potential for systems maps to provide a common picture of how things work. We'll look at where evidence is strong and weak, and who has the power to influence change, in fields ranging from net zero to poverty. We discussedthe best approaches to systems mapping, and explored how academics can use these techniques to give policymakers a clearer understanding of social complexity. With presentations from Viliana Dzhartova of Reimagined Futures, Alex Penn of CECAN, Roisin Dillon who won the Map the System Global competition in 2018, Alice Louka leads the Map the System programme, and Tom Hughes, senior policy adviser from the National Infrastructure Commission, we explored how academics can use these techniques to give policymakers a clearer understanding of social complexity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/systems-mapping-best-approaches-and-what-works-for-policy-design-tick... |
| Description | Public Online Event: Transferability of Evidence: It Might Work, But Not For Everyone |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This discussion looked at the question of transferability: if something works in one place and time, how do we know if it will work in others? We'll be looking at the many frameworks and methods for helping assess and adapt evidence, and how these might evolve in the future, including lessons from other fields including business. Speakers included: David Halpern, the 'What Works' National Adviser since 2013 and Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team, Robyn Mildon, CEO of the Centre for Evidence and Implementation, Dylan Kneale from the EPPI Centre and Sir Geoff Mulgan, IPPO's Co Principal Investigator. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/transferability-of-evidence-it-might-work-but-not-for-everyone-ticket... |
| Description | Public Online Event: Translating Lived Experience to Policy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Researchers are increasingly looking to bring 'lived experience' - knowledge from people with first-hand experience of a social issue or issues - into their analysis of how policy can solve socio-economic problems. There is growing acknowledgment of the unique perspectives lived experience can provide, and the importance of including lived experience evidence to build trust between policy-makers and the groups their decisions will affect. Yet doing lived experience research meaningfully requires significant resource, and translating experiences into policy isn't always straightforward. As part of our Innovations in Evidence series, this discussion focused specifically on the process of translating qualitative research and lived experience evidence into policy-making, and the process of influencing decision-makers with this kind of evidence. How much do we know and understand about using lived experience as evidence to influence policy? What are the benefits and challenges of a 'lived experience' approach? And how exactly do you translate the stories of those with lived experiences into concrete recommendations for policy? This event was chaired by Urte Macikene, Policy Evidence Lead at the International Public Policy Observatory, with contributions from Dr. Debbie Foster, Professor of Employment Relations and Diversity at Cardiff University, Emily Morrison, Director of Sustainability and JUST Transition and Interim Director for the Institute for Community Studies and Rebecca Curtayne, External Affairs Manager at Healthwatch England. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/translating-lived-experience-to-policy-tickets-801256468667 |
| Description | Public Online Event: Using Evidence During Crises and Fast-Paced Policy Environments |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | As part of our Innovations in Evidence series, this discussion looked at how evidence can be used in fast-moving situations, from pandemics, riots and fires to financial crises. Government policy making often happens under intense time pressures. These can result from both endogenous and exogenous drivers factors - not only crises (from pandemics to natural disasters) but also political commitments and public expectations of action. These situations involve conditions of high uncertainty, and the need to make critical decisions with wide-ranging impacts at great speed. To meet these challenges governments must quickly identify and employ the best available sources of evidence. These fast-paced policy contexts require a reconsideration of what kinds of evidence are relevant, valued and able to be absorbed when working under pressure. Our speakers included Eleanor Williams who is leading the recently launched Australian Centre for Evaluation (ACE) - an organisation that aims to support and amplify evidence of what works in the Australian public sector, Arjen Boin, Professor of Public Institutions and Governance, Leiden University and Carrie Heitmeyer, Head of Social Science at the Government Office for Science (Go Science). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/using-evidence-during-crises-and-fast-paced-policy-environments-ticke... |