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Government Social Research Unit (GSRU)

The Head of the Government Social Research service and supporting office (GSRU) provides strategic leadership to the Government Social Research service and supports it in delivering an effective service. It has a broad role in promoting the use of evidence in strategy, policy and delivery and leads on strategic social research issues and standards for social research in government. It represents GSR and its work within government and in the wider research community. It also provides practical support and advice to Departments on the organisation and delivery of research and on recruitment, career development and training. GSRU works closely with the GSR Heads of Profession group, the GSR training committee and the GSR communications committee.

What GSRU offers

GSRU offers government departments:

Consultancy Advice

• Technical and methodological advice about social research, policy evaluation and evidence-based policy making.
• Departmental social research capacity and professional issues.
• Career and recruitment issues for GSR.

Training and Seminars

• We run a series of professional development courses on social research methods and evaluation. These range from sampling and statistical analysis to systematic reviews and meta-analysis. These courses run regularly in response to demand. They are open to all GSR members. We can also tailor courses to fit particular departmental needs and deliver them in-house.
• Free seminars for social researchers, other analysts and policy makers on current methods and issues in social research and policy evaluation
• Email GSRU Seminars for further information about our training and seminars.

Good Practice guidance and information on current issues

• We run the Policy Hub website which aims to be the first port of call for improvements in policy making and delivery. For more information email John Scott Cree
• we produce the Magenta Book - a guidance manual on good practice in social research and policy evaluation
• we produce reports on key issues in social science research and evaluation, for example: Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A Framework for Assessing Research Evidence
• we are developing a strategic framework for the ethical assurance of government social research. This work includes a set of ethical standards for use across government and a system to help embed these standards into daily working practice. At the same time, Cabinet Office - with financial contributions from Department for Transport, Inland Revenue, Scottish Executive, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation - has commissioned the National Centre for Social Research to undertake a qualitative study to explore research participants' perceptions and experiences of ethical issues in social research.

Promotion of Government Social Research

• On behalf of GSR, we have developed this website to share information on GSR issues including training courses, careers information, useful links and contacts, events, projects and GSRU activities. It also provides a link between government departments and the wider research community.
• We take an active role in promoting GSR as a career, as a service within departments and in the wider research community.
• GSRU Business Plan 2007-2008 (Word, 34.5KB)
• GSRU organisation chart (PDF, 26.4KB)

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GSRU Staff

Head of Government Social Research service
Paul Wiles

Research, Consultancy and Training
Teresa Williams - Head of GSRU

Advice on strategic research issues
Siobhan Campbell - Senior Principal Research Officer
Anna Richardson - Principal Research Officer
Nathanael Bevan - Senior Research Officer
Kate Bilton - Senior Research Officer

GSR Recruitment and Careers
Rebecca Laffineur - Head of Talent Management
Jennifer Weedon - Recruitment and Continuing Professional Development Advisor

GSR Communications
Jonathan Webb - Stakeholder Manager

GSR and Policy Hub website coordinator
John Scott Cree - Website Coordinator

Support Team
Sarah Halls - PA to Teresa Williams
Michelle McCarthy - Events Manager
Nicolette Adcock - Finance Manager
Rowena Kaszubowski - Business Support Officer

Contact details for members of GSRU are published on the GSR Staff Directory.

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