Knowledge Exchange and ImpactKnowledge Exchange and Impact
Engaging Scottish Local Authorities WorkshopGlasgow, 11 June 2010Dr Fiona Armstrong
Outline
The context – ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14
Knowledge exchange and impact through
partnership
Pathways to Impact
Assessing Impact
Social Science lies at the heart of
understanding and tackling the
complex challenges facing society
ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14
QUALITY – IMPACT – INDEPENDENCE
‘The ESRC expects that all the research it funds will be high quality
and of scholarly distinction, but we are also committed to increasing
its non academic impact, and benefit to the UK in public policy,
economic prosperity, culture, and quality of life… These include the
close engagement with potential research users before, during
and after the research process, and a flow of people between
research and the worlds of policy and practice’.
Impact is not new….
The ESRC’s role, as incorporated by Royal Charter (1994) is:
To promote and support, by any means, high-quality basic, strategic and
applied research and related postgraduate training in the social sciences;
To advance knowledge and provide trained social scientists who meet the
needs of users and beneficiaries, thereby contributing to the economic
competitiveness of the United Kingdom, the effectiveness of public services
and policy, and the quality of life;
To provide advice on, and disseminate, knowledge; and promote public
understanding of the social sciences.
The idea stage - case study
Impact case study – controlling without confronting
English football fans were in the headlines at the 2004 UEFA European Championships in Albufiera, when over 50 English people were arrested following violent confrontations with the police.
Less well known, however, is that disorder at match venues during the competition was virtually non-existent – the result of a ‘low profile’ approach to policing recommended by an ESRC-funded UK researcher, and now being adopted by police in the UK and across Europe.
The idea – to make a difference to policing
ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14
The ESRC will aim to support and maximise its impact
through:
World class social science research
Skilled people
World class infrastructure
International leadership
Partnerships
ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14
Challenges for Social Science
Global Economic Performance, Policy
and Management
Environment, Energy and Resilience
Security, Conflict and Justice
Social Diversity and Population
Dynamics
Health and Wellbeing
New Technology, Innovation and Skills
Understanding Individual Behaviour
Productive Economy
Healthy Society
Sustainable World
RCUK Framework
Knowledge Exchange and Impact
Knowledge exchange and impact generation – important priority in age of austerity – doing more with less
Knowledge exchange can support significant economic and societal impact i.e. environment, public health and quality of life
• Encourage high levels of engagement between academia and key priority sectors (public, private and third sectors)
• Translation and application of research into innovation and policy
Need to increase knowledge exchange and collaboration to get research into policy and practice
Make an impact
Benefits of Knowledge ExchangeAcademic Perspective:
Gain an understanding of the needs and priorities of potential research users
Inform academic research
Increase the prospects of academic research being applied and generating a wider impact
Apply evidence-based knowledge and expertise to important policies
Research User Perspective:
Research-informed evidence to develop and review policy and practice
Access to innovative ideas and expertise
Add value and enhance organisational creativity, performance and productivity through collaborations and partnerships
Gain access to collaborative funding
Defining impact Instrumental
Influencing the development of policy practice or service provision
Shaping behaviour
Altering legislation
Conceptual
Contributing to our understanding of the above
Reframing debates
Capacity-building
Technical/professional skills development
Defining impact … it can be more subtle Cultural change
Increased willingness to engage in knowledge exchange activities – by individuals, and/or institutions
Changed mindsets
Enduring connectivity
Establishment of enduring academic / non-academic relationships – indicator of potential future achievements or impacts
Both are a crucial stepping stone for other types of impact
Meagher, L. 2009 “Impact Evaluation of People at the Centre of Communication and Information Technologies (PACCIT) Programme
Generating impact: co-production
Involving users at all stages of the research;
Well-planned user-engagement and knowledge exchange strategies;
Co-production of knowledge – scope for generating higher impact;
Portfolios of research activity that build reputations with research users;
Generating impact: relationships
Key factors identified for generating impact include:
Established relationships and networks with user communities;
Where appropriate, the involvement of intermediaries and knowledge broker as translators, amplifiers, network providers, etc
Good infrastructure and management support;
ESRC - roles and responsibilitiesThree distinctive roles relating to impact:
Leadership
Impact creation and delivery
Impact identification and measurement
Leadership and new opportunities
IMPACT FEEDBACK LOOP
best practice
support and management
Impact identification and measurement
Impact creation and delivery
Sustainable World
Healthy Society
Productive Economy
Global econom
ic perform
ance, policy and m
anagement
Understanding
Individual Behaviour
New
technology, Innovation and S
kills
Social D
iversity and P
opulation D
ynamics
Health and
wellbeing
Environm
ent, E
nergy and resilience
Security, C
onflict and Justice
User Engagement and Knowledge Exchange
Shaped by opportunities from our portfolio, responsive to user needs,
delivering impact
ESRC Portfolio
Third Sector - Local Government – Business – Public Sector – Devolved AdministrationsUser needs
Third Sector Engagement Strategy
The ESRC recognises the growing importance of the third sector and
through extensive consultation has developed an engagement
strategy and portfolio of third sector activity.
The ESRC has a strategic commitment to:
Enhance and develop the third sector evidence base with, for and
on the third sector
Build the research expertise and capacity of the third sector for
conducting and utilising relevant research resources and data
Create links and partnerships between academia, policy-makers
and the third sector (through a range of mechanisms) to generate
significant impact(s) on policy and practice
Business Engagement StrategyVISION The ESRC will act as the lead RCUK Strategic Partner to business in areas of innovation, skills and
business models and in key priority sectors, to ensure maximum impact of our world-class social science base.
MISSION In doing this the ESRC will ensure to develop and sustain partnerships with business sector
stakeholders to influence and maximise the impact of ESRC’s research and; will facilitate the application and co-
production of knowledge.
STRATEGIC AIMS are driven by ESRC’s principles of quality, impact and independence.
1). Ensure that the broad business
sector is able to fully exploit the
evidence base in the cross-cutting
areas of innovation, skills and
new business models to ensure
maximum impact on performance
and sustainable economic growth
2). Lead engagement with the three
economically-important sectors of
Financial Services, Retail and
Sport Leisure and Tourism
to secure maximum impact of the
Research Councils' portfolio of
research and skills on those
business sectors.
3). Maximise the impact upon
business of ESRC investments and
existing strategic partnerships with
Government, the Third Sector, the
Technology Strategy Board, and
other Research Councils
Underpinning strategic delivery objective: Given the complexity of the business sector and the need to focus
our resource, delivering impact is often best achieved and maximised through collaboration with consultants
and business intermediaries which underpins the delivery of our strategic objectives
Central and Local Government
Engage with local Authorities through LARCI – the Local Authorities
and Research Councils’ Initiative http://www.larci.org.uk
Engage with Central Government through “concordat” relationships
with approx. 20 Government Departments
Annual meetings to share strategic priorities
Programme of partnered opportunities, e.g. public sector placements,
public policy seminars
ESRC approach recognised in the CST report on “How Academia and
Government can Work Together”
Collaborative Research
Collaborative Training
People and Information Exchange
Commercialisation and Development
Capacity Building Clusters CASE Studentships Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
RCUK Business Plan Competition
Responsive Mode Doctoral Training Centres and Units
Public , Third and Business Sector Placements
Follow-on Fund
Ventures Government Collaborative Studentships
Student internships
Public Policy Seminars
Business Engagement Opportunities scheme
ESRC Opportunities in relation to the RCUK Knowledge Exchange Pillars
Knowledge Exchange and Impact Generation Opportunities
A life course approach
CASE Studentships
Student Internships
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Placement Fellowship – Business Public and Third Sector Schemes
Follow-on Funding
Business Engagement Opportunities
Capacity Building Clusters – Business and Third Sector
Additional Opportunities and ResourcesAdditional Opportunities and Resources
Collaborative ResearchCollaborative ResearchSeminar and WorkshopsSeminar and Workshops
Publications and Electronic ResourcesPublications and Electronic Resources
Knowledge Transfer Training and DevelopmentKnowledge Transfer Training and Development
Assessing impact
ESRC is exploring new methods for assessing the impact of research on policy makers and practitioners
Taking Stock 2009 Report: http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Support/Evaluation/evaluatingimpact/index.aspx#0
Dissemination does not equal impact! Need to capture evidence of application by users
Assessment methods should seek to capture the wider diversity of impacts, and the processes through which impact occurs
To summarise Impact through Partnerships is key
Important for ESRC to develop strategic partnerships, in order to
act as knowledge broker and support impact from our portfolio
Universities should consider their role in developing their own
strategic partnerships to support the impact agenda
ESRC has other opportunities for Knowledge Exchange
Specific schemes, but also can act in the capacity as a knowledge
broker
Embedding “impact” is important
Important to consider across the proposal lifecycle from inception to
evaluation
Thank youFor further information:
VisitESRC Knowledge Transfer Guide:www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Support/knowledge_transfer
ESRC Knowledge Transfer Opportunities: http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/KnowledgeExch/index.aspx