Bulletin: December 2007
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GSR News
GSR 50th anniversary event 21 November 2007
- Chris Blunkell
The first research unit in a government department was formed in the Home Office 50 years ago in 1957, although social research had been going on since before World War II. From humble beginnings government social research has grown, found its professional feet, found itself marginalized, and then thrived through the development of a shared professional identity and a raised profile. This history was traced, and fresh challenges articulated, from four distinct perspectives as GSR members gathered for an event at HM Treasury.
Professor Roger Jowell, Director of the Centre of Comparative Social Surveys at City University, explained how government social research in the UK began just before World War II when the first social survey was undertaken. Within months, however, press negativity had induced sufficient panic for the research to be stopped. Although other types of research continued, attitudinal research did not re-emerge for the next four or five decades.
In the early 1950s social research in government received a boost with the launch of new surveys and, increasingly, dependence on the results. Outside government market research thrived, with 1969 seeing the emergence of Social and Community Planning Research - the first of the non-profit institutes.
If the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s saw the establishment and consolidation of social surveys, the 1970s saw expansion, and the growing penetration and sophistication of departmental research units - primarily at the Home Office and the Department of the Environment. The 1980s saw the end of government’s fear of attitudinal research when the British Social Attitudes Survey was launched with government support, whilst the 1990s saw new methods and experimentation.
- Barbara Doig
Barbara Doig - now an Independent Knowledge Broker and lately Head of Profession (HoP) at the Scottish Executive - then described a slow birth and infancy for social research in government with attempts to centralise and then disperse researchers and, towards the end of the 1960s, a move towards professional training. There was an amateurish conference, and stirrings in the outside world, when the Social Research Association was set up in 1978. The next 20 years, she told us, saw an extended adolescence with research units slashed, and the focus shifting to the commissioning of work. However, she explained that “the shoots of future growth remained visible, with HoPs starting to meet and the growth and consolidation of training.”
What had influenced the development of the social research function in government? “Partly the long sweep of post-WWII renewal, ‘yo-yo’ government in the 1970s and, more recently, a period of stability with the importance of social research foregrounded in a number of reports”, she explained. Barbara believes that more recently technology and connectivity have influenced what researchers do and how they do it.
- Dave Ramsden
Dave Ramsden, Managing Director of the Macroeconomic and Fiscal Policy Directorate in HM Treasury, then explained both the main findings and implications of his recent review into the configuration of professional support units, which resulted - amongst other things - in the arrival of Paul Wiles as Chief Government Social Researcher and Head of GSR.
He explained that his recommendations with regard to GSR, now implemented, were that analytical professions should remain distinct but collaborate; that heads of analytical professions should have an executive role to ensure policy relevance; and that GSRU should be moved into his Directorate to work alongside the support unit for economists. He told delegates: “It has had growth but little stability, but now has a firm basis.”
- Professor Paul Wiles
Closing the event, new Chief Government Social Researcher and Head of GSR Professor Paul Wiles said that government was now realising the importance of social research, and that other scientists are realising that they can’t do the job without it. He told delegates: “The scientific community has woken up to us. It’s a great opportunity, but we need to show that our work is of the highest quality - we need to look at ourselves.”
He explained that when he arrived in the Civil Service there was no structure for social research across government and no professional framework, which he found worrying. He told delegates: “I was delighted when GSR was created. Sue Duncan has done a huge amount, and what is most impressive is the clear professional identity. All of Sue’s work must continue, and some must be developed further - but I can’t do it all, we have to do it together.”
Paul stressed the need for different communities to work together, adding that “something profound needs to happen - we need to find policy problems and then identify the right expertise to bring to bear.” This, he said, required parity of esteem amongst analysts, and remarked that, for GSR this meant we needed more seniority if we were to work on equal terms.
Finally, he urged an approach that crossed departmental boundaries and incorporated international perspectives, and warned against focusing simply on short-term policy questions. He concluded: “The best contribution social research can make is to help government prepare for opportunities and threats in the future. We can - and must - serve the current agenda, whilst helping to set the agenda for the future.”
GSR people
Mark Kleinman
- Mark Kleinman, Communities and Local Government has been appointed Director of Migration and Chief Social Researcher. Mark will be based in Cohesion and Resilience Group.
He will have a mainly leadership role:
- promoting social research and social researchers with the CLG Permanent Secretary, Directors General and Directors, and in discussions at the Evidence Strategy Group;
- ensuring an adequate social research capability in CLG with appropriate resources;
- working with the Chief Economist, Chief Scientist and Head of Statistics to promote integration in CLG’s research and analysis and lead on integrating cross disciplinary working;
- representing and promoting CLG social research with external stakeholders including with the Government Chief Social Researcher and influencing the Heads of Analysis Group chaired by the Treasury Permanent Secretary, Nick Macpherson.
Jan White
- Jan White retains her role as Head of Profession for Social Researchers in CLG.
More Social Researchers to join Fast Stream
- 11 social researchers from across government have been selected for the second intake of the Government Social Research (GSR) In-Service Fast Stream - the career and skills development programme that offers participants an accelerated route to Civil Service leadership. Launched in April 2006, the programme is closely linked to both the Professional Skills for Government (PSG) initiative and GSR competences, with new Fast Streamers gaining experience of technically challenging and politically high profile work in a variety of contexts. As a consequence, they should be ready for promotion to Principal Research Officer sooner than they would be otherwise, and be ready to take on a post in the Senior Civil Service a few years later.
The 2007 intake once again saw GSR candidates achieving a success rate in the selection process which was higher than the Fast Stream average, taking the total number of GSR Fast Stream participants to 21. This year for the first time there are now GSR Fast Streamers located in HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
Currently open only to GSR members, the GSR In-Service Fast Stream offers around 10 places each year to Research Officers and Senior Research Officers who have the support of their line manager and Head of Profession and who pass the selection process.
Masters results confirm talent in GSR
- Chief Government Social Researcher and Head of GSR, Paul Wiles, has expressed delight at the results achieved by the first government social researchers to graduate from the Government Social Research Unit (GSRU) sponsored MSc in Policy Analysis and Evaluation. Speaking at the GSR 50th anniversary event at HM Treasury, he congratulated the new postgraduates, commenting: “It is more important than ever that our researchers are on top of current thinking and techniques, and GSRU is committed to your development. These outstanding results confirm both your quality as individuals and the depth of talent in the GSR community.”
The 12 successful candidates were sponsored by Government Departments and Agencies, and the Welsh Assembly Government, with three - Paul McCafferty (HM Revenue & Customs), Debbie Moon (Home Office) and Rachel Tuffin (National Police Improvement Agency) - achieving distinctions.
Launched in 2005 and run in partnership with the Institute of Education, the degree contributes to the Professional Skills for Government agenda. It addresses the future skills needs of GSR, particularly those focused on quantitative research skills. Undertaken part-time over two years, the programme comprises taught modules and related course work assignments, and submission of dissertations.
The degree is open to all government social researchers, with the minimum requirement a second class honours degree (preferably in a social science subject) from a UK university, or an equivalent overseas degree. Applications are also considered from those with professional or other qualifications gained by written examination and judged by the Institute of Education to be the equivalent of a second class honours degree.
Continuing Professional Development
New Members' Conference, 17-18 January 2008
- Last call for bookings for New Members' Conference, 17-18 January 2008 - The annual conference for people who have joined GSR in the last year is a highlight for all new members. If you’ve not yet booked your place, please do so by noon on 20 December. The agenda includes contributions from new GSR head, Paul Wiles; from colleagues in the other analytical professions and from the devolved administrations.
GSR research outputs
Scottish Government
ACAS
Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)
Department for Transport
- Framework for evaluation of the 2003 Air Transport White Paper policies - evaluation framework providing a useful guide to future evaluators for conducting high level evaluations of the achievement of the Air Transport White Paper (ATWP) policies and the impact of the Air Transport White Paper on airport development as a whole; and proposals for assessing the impacts of specific Air Transport White Paper policies.
- Understanding the travel aspirations, needs and behaviour of young adults and people in later life - follows up respondents (aged 16 to 25) to the Department's National Travel Survey for in depth interview. Finds that targeting young people with information about alternatives to the car at key 'trigger points' in their lives could boost use of public transport more effectively. Research was undertaken through a series of in depth interviews with 68 people between the ages of 16-25. For younger people, 12 focus groups and 36 interviews were conducted.
- Understanding the travel needs, behaviour and aspirations of people in later life - research following up respondents (aged 50 and over) to the Department's National Travel Survey for in depth interview.
Home Office
- The Drug Treatment Outcomes research study: baseline report (Home Office Research Report 03) - findings from the quantitative study baseline interviews. The topics covered in this report include: the characteristics of treatment-seekers; the referral source to treatment and treatment history; nature and level of drug use; levels of offending; risk-taking behaviour; and, motivations for treatment.
- The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP): addressing drug use and offending through 'Tough Choices' (Home Office Research Report 02) - examines the way that the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) engages and directs Class A drug misusers from the point of arrest or charge to the point of treatment. It also examines whether the implementation of Tough Choices in April 2006 changed the characteristics of people coming through DIP, and whether it improved the retention of drug users in the system (including in treatment). It also examines offending patterns before and after DIP. Two cohorts are examined consisting of all positive testers coming through the custody suite during two time periods; one before and one after Tough Choices.
- Measuring the harm from illegal drugs: the Drug Harm Index 2005 (Online Report 22/07) - latest update adds data for 2005 and incorporates revised figures for earlier years. It shows that the DHI has fallen from 89.1 in 2004 to 83.8 in 2005. This is a drop of 5.3 points or 5.9 per cent. This compares to a decrease of 18.2 per cent between 2003 and 2004. The index has now fallen year-on-year since 2001. The fall in the DHI between 2004 and 2005 is largely due to further reductions in drug-related crime.
- National and regional estimates of the prevalence of opiate use and/or crack cocaine use 2005/06: a summary of key findings (PDF) (Online Report 21/07) - summarises the results of the second sweep of a three-year study to estimate the prevalence of ‘problem drug use’ (defined as use of opiates and/or crack cocaine) nationally (England only), regionally, and locally. An overview of national and Government Office Region estimates are presented in this report as are comparisons with the estimates produced by the previous (2004/05) sweep of this study.
- The illicit drug trade in the United Kingdom (PDF) (Online Report 20/07) - presents findings from interviews with 222 imprisoned drug dealers and traffickers. It provides a detailed insight into the operation of the market for illicit drugs.
Department of Health
- Research evidence on the effectiveness of self-care support - includes information, self-care support devices, self-care skills training and self-care support networks in the care of people with long-term health conditions, short-term ailments and among those taking initiatives to stay healthy.
Other research outputs
Office of National Statistics
- The changing demographic picture of the UK: National Statistician’s annual article on the population (Population Trends, vol 130 Winter 2007, pp 9-21) which says that the population of the UK is currently growing at its fastest rate since the 1960s, increasing by two and a half per cent between mid-2001 and mid-2006. While life expectancy continues to increase, fertility rates have also been increasing in the last five years and are currently at their highest level since 1980. In addition, international migration has led to the UK population growing by an average of 500 people per day over the last five years. The population is also becoming increasingly diverse and mobile, and these factors make it increasingly challenging to measure population change accurately.
This is the first of a series of annual reports on the population of the UK; these reports will provide an overview of the latest statistics on the population and will also focus on one specific topic - for this report the topic is fertility and, in particular, the impact of migration on fertility.
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Mathematica
- Mathematica semimonthly update.
Contents include:
- Family well-being: connections with poverty and family structure
- Care for chronic illnesses: Medicaid Value Program tests interventions
- Research ethics: authorship and publication practices
Oxford University. Department of Social Policy and Social Work
- Measuring poverty in Britain as a multi-dimensional concept : 1991 to 2003 (PDF) (Working paper, n° 2007/6). While poverty is widely accepted to be an inherently multi-dimensional concept, it has proved very difficult to develop measures that both capture this multi-dimensionality and facilitate comparison of trends over time. Structural Equation Modelling appears to offer a solution to this conundrum and is used to exploit the British Household Panel Study to create a multidimensional measure of poverty. The analysis reveals that the decline in poverty in Britain between 1991 and 2003 was driven by falls in material deprivation, but more especially by reduced financial stress particularly during the early 1990s. The limitations and potential of the new approach are critically discussed.
Research funding
ESRC National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM)
- NCRM announce decision on commissioning Nodes that will receive funding from April 2008. 19 full proposals were received and the Panel agreed to recommend 7 for funding:
NCRM consists of a co-ordinating Hub at the University of Southampton and Nodes based at UK Universities.
For more information about any of these projects please contact the Director of individual Nodes or Chris Skinner <mailto:cjs@soton.ac.uk> Director of the NCRM.
Details of the commissioning process are available on the ESRC website.
Website of the Month
European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research
- European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research - a UN-affiliated intergovernmental organisation, concerned with all aspects of social welfare policy and research. All governments of States that are members of the United Nations, in particular those of countries of the UN-European Region, are invited to
participate in and contribute to the activities of the European Centre. This results in a geographical domain of potential Member Countries of more than fifty European nations as well as the United States of America, Canada and Israel...The European Centre provides expertise in the fields of welfare and social policy development in a broad sense, in particular in areas where multi-or interdisciplinary approaches, integrated policies and inter-sectoral action are called for. [website]
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