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

ContactFiona.Armstrong@esrc.ac.uk