Government Social Research
Each year government recruits between 100-200 staff to join the Government Social Research community located around the UK . It is a young profession, and there are good opportunities for entrants with the right combination of skills and attitudes .
Social research is used to inform the design of government policy and the way it is delivered, and has a key role in evaluating the impact of policies and whether they are working as intended. Government researchers based in departments in London , Sheffield , Cardiff , Newport , Southampton , Edinburgh and Belfast provide objective, reliable, timely and relevant social research to inform decision-making in government. Projects range from exploring social issues like unemployment, ageing, poverty, crime, health, to assessing the impact of policies, such as the New Deal (getting people in to work) and post-16 vocational qualifications.
The Government Social Research (GSR) service comprises approximately 1,000 social researchers located in 20 government departments. They collect and analyse data, either directly or by commissioning projects, advise policy makers and ministers on the use and interpretation of social research, and play a wider research intelligence role by developing links with researchers outside government to provide access to all relevant social research. Although departments work and are organised in slightly different ways, all researchers have a crucial role in working with colleagues responsible for making policy and delivery of government services.
People recruited to GSR will normally have a good first degree and often a Masters, although the latter is not a requirement. Typically, recruits will have a background in sociology, economics, psychology, statistics, social geography, or social policy (often with a social research element). Most people join as Research Officers - the basic graduate entry grade - although more experienced people are recruited at Senior and Principal Research Officer levels, and sometimes higher.
Government needs people who are interested in the policy and political process, and can look beyond the research itself to how it can actually be used within government to inform decision making on social policy. Aside from an interest in and commitment to social research itself, we favour applicants who are good communicators with strong analytical skills, a reasonable level of numeracy, and the courage and imagination to get research findings used and to make informed judgements about how it can contribute.
Posts are advertised at various times in the year, normally in The Guardian and on the GSR and Civil Service recruitment websites. At the moment, each department has its own recruitment scheme, though there are commonly agreed standards.
Once in post, we encourage staff to develop their careers by gaining experience in different departments and policy areas. Staff can also move across to broader Civil Service jobs in policy and delivery to develop their careers. GSR is part of a wider community of social researchers; for those more interested in broadening their research experience, there are opportunities to take up secondments in the wider research sector, for example universities, survey organisations and research institutes. Typically, entrants might explore a promotion route covering the posts of Senior Research Officer and Principal Research Officer, after which there are Senior Civil Service posts heading research services within specific departments or doing jobs which draw on their research skills but have a wider remit.
Social researchers in government need to be skilled in the techniques of research enquiry and analysis. We invest a lot in training , particularly at the junior grades, with specialist courses and the opportunity to develop more mainstream skills like staff management.
The bottom line is that GSR offers an interesting career for the right people - departments offer excellent training and career support, and work is varied and important. Research skills are not enough, however - strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential, given the requirement for working effectively with and influencing non-researchers, as is a willingness to challenge and carve out new ways of working.