Knowledge Exchange and Impact

1. Knowledge Exchange and Impact Engaging Scottish Local Authorities Workshop Glasgow, 11 June 2010 Dr Fiona Armstrong

2. Outline The context – ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14 Knowledge exchange and impact through partnership Pathways to Impact Assessing Impact

3. Social Science lies at the heart of understanding and tackling the complex challenges facing society

4. 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’.

5. 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.

6. The idea stage - case study The idea – to make a difference to policing 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.

7. 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

8. ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14 RCUK Framework 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

9. 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

10. Benefits of Knowledge Exchange Academic 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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;

14. 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;

16. Impact creation and delivery Leadership and new opportunities best practice support and management IMPACT FEEDBACK LOOP Impact identification and measurement ESRC - roles and responsibilities Three distinctive roles relating to impact: • Leadership • Impact creation and delivery • Impact identification and measurement

17. Healthy Society Productive Economy Sustainable World Understanding Individual Behaviour Global economic performance, policy and management New technology, Innovation and Skills Social Diversity and Population Dynamics Health and wellbeing Environment, Energy and resilience Security, Conflict and Justice ESRC Portfolio User Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Shaped by opportunities from our portfolio, responsive to user needs, delivering impact User needs Third Sector - Local Government – Business – Public Sector – Devolved Administrations

18. 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

19. Business Engagement Strategy

20. 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”

21. ESRC Opportunities in relation to the RCUK Knowledge Exchange Pillars

22. Knowledge Exchange and Impact Generation Opportunities Capacity Building Clusters – Business and Third Sector A life course approach Placement Fellowship – Business Public and Third Sector Schemes Business Engagement Opportunities CASE Studentships Follow-on Funding Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Student Internships Additional Opportunities and Resources Collaborative Research Seminar and Workshops Publications and Electronic Resources Knowledge Transfer Training and Development

23. 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

24. 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

25. Thank you For further information: Visit ESRC Knowledge Transfer Guide: www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Support/knowledge_transfer ESRC Knowledge Transfer Opportunities: http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/KnowledgeExch/index.aspx Contact Fiona.Armstrong@esrc.ac.uk