LOCAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS ADVISORS NEEDED BY DCLG

Required in all English Regions

Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) are inviting applications from suitably qualified individuals to join a panel of specialist advisors who will support local authorities and their strategic partners to improve the delivery of public services. The advisors will provide advice, coaching, training and mentoring to support local partnerships in their delivery of services through the new performance framework, local area agreements and multi area agreements. The RIEPs are seeking specialists and experts from a range of service delivery and cross-cutting themes including:

• performance management
• delivery planning
• trajectory planning
• data collection and analysis
• performance management techniques and building analytical capacity
• developing local information systems
• data management and interpretation
• research strategy
• research methods and analytic techniques

For further details, including other themes for which RIEPs are recruiting, and to download an application pack please visit www.idea.gov.uk/lia or request by email to LIAenquiries@idea.gov.uk or by phone on 020 7296 6188. Closing date is 5.00 pm 29 October 2008 Interviews in London between 17th and 28th November 2008. Successful applicants will also be asked to attend regional induction events across England.

LARIA EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AWARD

Dear LARIA Member

There's only one week left for you to enter this year's LARIA Excellence in Research Award. Big and small projects are equally welcome.

Get the recognition your deserve

We've all done research that we're really proud of. Maybe you have introduced an exciting new initiative to improve the quality of the research you carry out. Perhaps your research has changed the way your authority works or delivers its services. Or it could just be something you think went well. The range of research is open because we want as many local authorities as possible to enter for the award. This is your opportunity to get the recognition you deserve.

The prize

Once again, the award is being sponsored by CACI Limited, a leading provider of marketing solutions and information systems. As well as paying for a place at the LARIA Annual Conference 2009 for the winner, up to £2,000 worth of CACI data will be provided for use by the winning authority.

The winner will receive a trophy at a special presentation at the annual conference. The award winner will also have the opportunity to present their research either at the conference or at another appropriate event.

The award will be given to an authority, where it is hoped that the employees who carried out or commissioned the research will benefit.

What the judges are looking for

The judges, made up of LARIA council members and external researchers, will be looking for:

• a sound research methodology;
• research that demonstrates an impact on policy and practice;
• research that involves trying something new or being creative; and
• a well-structured submission, including reasons why your research should win the award.

How to enter

You should send a submission of up to 1,500 words. The judges will make their decision based on this, so please don't send any supporting documents or files.

E-mail your submission to Mike Walker, chair of the LARIA Member Development Activity Group, at mike.walker@lancashire.gov.uk.
.
The closing date is 31st October 2008.

Good luck.

MSc IN POLICY ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

LARIA is beginning to work more closely with the Government Social Research Unit (GSR) and hence an early opportunity has arisen for LARIA members to apply for an MSc in Policy Analysis and Evaluation. Apologies for the short deadline, but we have only just received this.

The deadline to apply for this year's intake for the MSc is Friday 8th August. Run in partnership with the Institute of Education, this GSR Masters level qualification in policy analysis and evaluation aims to:

• provide a broadly based training in social science research methods, with an emphasis on quantitative methods;
• develop students' knowledge and understanding of research design, research management, evidence-based policy, economic analysis, longitudinal analysis and a range of quantitative, evaluative and qualitative research methods; and
• provide students with transferable skills which can be used effectively in different work environments.

The prospectus and application form can be found on the GSRweb (http://www.gsr.gov.uk/professional_development/msc/index.asp).

Further information can be obtained from the Course Director Professor Shirley Dex by email s.dex@ioe.ac.uk or by telephoning 020 7612 6231. The cost for the course is: £5,000 in total, £2,500 per year. The time commitment required is estimated at between 24 and 26 days formal training over the two years (which happen during working hours) with between 5-10 hours per week of personal study. 2007 saw the first 12 graduates from the course, three with distinctions, and feedback from students is very positive.

PROGRAMME STUDENTSHIPS, MSc IN OFFICIAL STATISTICS, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

The MSc in Official Statistics is a part-time programme for statisticians working in government. The University is offering several studentships covering the programme fees, and would like to target candidates in local government who would benefit from graduate level professional development training. It is expected that they will have the equivalent of at least a Second Class Honours Degree with some exposure to statistical methods (e.g. in Geography, Psychology, Population Sciences, Economics / Econometrics, Statistics, Mathematics) and usually be employed in the area of Official Statistics.

The course modules take the form of one-week blocks (which can also be taken as one-off short courses for professional development). A Certificate in Official Statistics requires 8 short course modules, a Diploma requires16 short courses, and the MSc also involves a dissertation. Typically four modules are taken per year so the MSc programme can extend up to five years.

Studentships are available to cover the full MSc, although they could also be split to accommodate more students. Note that the studentship does not include travel and subsistence.

For a list of modules, and more information about the programme, see http://www.soton.ac.uk/socsci/socstats/moffstat/index.html, or contact

Guy Robson
MSc Programmes Administrator
School of Social Sciences
University of Southampton
Room 3135 Building 58, Highfield
Southampton SO17 1BJ
Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 3562
Fax: +44 (0)23 8059 3858
moffstat@socsci.soton.ac.uk

NEW WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT ADVISORY GROUP

The Welsh Assembly Government is setting up an advisory group as part of a projecf to produce household estimates and projections by local authority for Wales. The Group, meeting only once or twice, will represent users needs, agree the broad methodology and its fitness for purpose and the dissemination of the results. If any members would like to volunteer to be on the advisory group or would like to be kept in touch with developments of this project please contact Liz Heal, Environment Sustainability and Household Statistics at the Welsh Assembly Government. Email: elizabeth.heal@wales.gsi.gov.uk, tel: 029 2082 5616

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN MAGIC? (Maintaining Access to Government Information Collaboratively) If so, please read on...

Education for Change is leading the MAGIC study, commissioned by the London School of Economics Library, the University of Oxford Social Sciences Library and the British Library, of the feasibility of a central repository and “virtual reference desk” offering long-term electronic access to a comprehensive collection of British government and official publications via the Internet.

The service would cover electronic UK (Westminster) government documents and those issued by the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The potential for a shared service of this kind has been proposed in response to a general concern within the research community about loss of information when Government web sites are updated or closed due to structural reform of the machinery of government, policy changes, change of party in power, etc.

As well as information on the web pages themselves, they contain links to important documents which would previously have been published in print and preserved in libraries for the use of researchers and members of the public, but which are now often issued only in electronic form on government web sites, where their presence is transitory.

We have designed a short survey for researchers from the academic, government and other sectors in order to gather information from research communities about the potential market for such a service, including current practice by individual researchers in identifying, finding and using official publications (both print and electronic).

If you are a researcher with an interest in using current and historic official publications from the United Kingdom, we would be grateful if you could take the time to complete our survey at this web address http://www.efc.co.uk/projects/magic/researchers_survey.jsp .

Thank you for your assistance in this research

2011 UK CENSUS OUTPUTS CONSULTATION - ONLINE SURVEY AND BLOG

The UK Census offices (ONS, GROS, and NISRA) invite you to participate in a 2011 Census output consultation through response to an online survey. The consultation is open from 25 February 2008 for 12 weeks. It aims to find out what users of the 2011 Census want from the data we gather. Your answers will help us to prioritise user needs.

The survey is supplemented by a blog, run in conjunction with the Hansard Sociey.This provides an opportunity to elaborate on issues raised in the survey and discuss your views with other users.

More information is available from the consultation website at http://www.ukcensusoutputs.net

JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION PUBLICATIONS NEWSLETTER

If you would like to view the September 2008 edition of The Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Publications Newsletter - please click here. (weblink)

THE JOURNAL OF VOLUNTARY SECTOR RESEARCH: CALL FOR PAPERS

You are invited to submit an article to be considered for publication in The Journal of Voluntary Sector Research (ISSN 1755-3083) – a new quarterly journal, commencing in 2008, aimed at practitioners and academics with an interest in voluntary sector research.

Editorial Policy

• We aim to publish the best research carried out by or for the voluntary sector in a way that is accessible and credible.
• The Journal will disseminate key research findings as widely as possible to those seeking to learn from or to better understand the voluntary sector.
• The Journal will help meet the need for research evidence to inform and underpin good practice and performance improvement.
• Publication decisions will be based solely upon the quality and interest of the submission and close relevance to the work of the voluntary sector.

Key Journal Audiences

• Universities
• Voluntary sector organisations
• Statutory agencies
• Further education colleges
• Consultants

Submissions

Articles should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words with a short summary of 100-200 words. Authors should submit three printed copies of their manuscript together with one copy in electronic form to: Dr Gary Kitchen, Editor, Journal of Voluntary Sector Research, Get Heard Consultancy, 37b New Cavendish Street, London W1G 8JR, Email: gkitchen@getheard.org.uk, Web: www.getheard.org.uk/journal.php

The Journal will consider only work that has not been previously published in journal or book form. Submissions must not be under consideration anywhere else. Please contact the Editor for more detailed Guidelines for Authors.

Editorial Board

The Journal aims at high standards both of academic excellence and accessibility underpinned by an established Editorial Board of relevant practitioners and scholars.

POLICY PRESS - NEW PUBLICATION

The Policy Press have just published (Oct 2007) a new book, 'Making Policy in Theory and Practice', edited by Hugh Bochel and Sue Duncan.

Set in the context of New Labour's emphasis on 'modernisation', and reflecting the growing emphasis on policy making as a skill, the book combines both academic and practitioner perspectives to provide critical consideration of contemporary policy-making and highlight examples of good practice at all levels of government.

For more information please see: https://www.policypress.org.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=&products_id=1104

The Policy Press, Fourth Floor, Beacon House
Queen's Road, Bristol BS8 1QU
Tel: 0117 331 4054

www.policypress.org.uk

AUDIT COMMISSION NATIONAL STUDIES UPDATE BULLETIN

We are pleased to present the fourth edition of the Audit Commission's National Studies Update bulletin.

Edition 4 - 15th June 2007

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Audit Commission's National Studies Update. This newsletter, published four times a year, contains information about recently published Audit Commission national reports and an update on studies in progress. You can also find information about our national studies on our website.

In this issue:

• Recently published studies
• Studies nearing publication
• Studies being drafted
• Studies in research
• Studies being scoped
• Audit Commission events

View the full edition 4 of the National Studies Update http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/nationalstudiesupdate/issue4/issue4.asp?issue=4&linkid-1

You can view the full bulletin via this link: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/nationalstudiesupdate.asp

LATEST MRS (MARKET RESEARCH SOCIETY) NEWS

MRS CGG Small Area Geography Meeting

The presentations from the MRS CGG Small Area Geography (ONS consultation) meeting held here on 5th February with Nick Stripe are available on our website - as is the official CGG submission to ONS. http://www.mrs.org.uk/networking/cgg/small_area_geog.htm.

LARIA RESPONSE TO CENSUS 2011 CONSULTATION. 

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