The Coronavirus pandemic is having a profound and unprecedented impact on the Welsh economy – an economy already weakened by retrenchment and austerity in the public sector following the 2008 financial crisis, in addition to the challenges posed by leaving…
5 things we learned about procurement
The Wales Centre for Public Policy has been exploring the case for a more strategic approach to public procurement for nearly two years. In July 2018 we hosted an event that considered the lessons from the collapse of Carillion. Earlier…
Why a ‘Just Transition’? Decarbonisation and economic justice
This is the first in a series of 3 blogs posts on achieving a just transition.This first blog considers what a just transition is, our second what such a transition might look like in Wales, and final blog post considers the potential role of governance…
Tackling Rural Poverty – Identifying the Causes
On a visit to Beijing in 2015 I met the Chinese Vice-Minister for Rural Development. A jovial man, who looked back fondly on the two years he had spent living in Cardiff, he seemed unperturbed by his charge of lifting…
Delivering a Just Transition: What would it look like?
In our previous blog we looked at why a just transition could be an equitable means of decarbonising the economy. This post looks in more detail at what this might look like in the Welsh context, and how different approaches…
Tackling Inequalities through Gender Budgeting
With the opportunity provided by the Gender Equality Review and the commitment to feminist principles by the Welsh Government, the time is ripe for the Government to step fully into a gender analysis of its budget process. With the framework…
The Preston Model: A panacea for Wales?
Procurement is moving up the agenda. In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has advocated reforming procurement and procurement has been suggested as a way to bolster the foundational economy by Deputy Minister Lee Waters. The ‘Preston model’ has frequently been…
Evidence, practice and philosophy: How can we undertake effective evidence-informed practice in Wales?
Wales is currently experiencing an unprecedented level of educational reform. Along with a distinctive approach to curriculum development comes an emphasis on transforming schools into professional learning organisations (PLOs). This results in stakeholders not only debating curricular concerns about what…
How did we get here and how can we build on it?
Across Wales a lively debate surrounds both the health of the Welsh economy and its future prospects. It is widely accepted that the performance of the Welsh economy lags behind the UK average and a range of comparator regions in…
Collaborative procurement in Wales: Pulling together… but in what direction?
Here at the Centre, we’re examining the evidence on public procurement, and aiming to publish some succinct reports in early 2019. Collaborating on procurement – joining forces to pool and strengthen in-house expertise or to access economies of scale –…
