At Wales Centre for Public Policy we’re part of the UK’s What Works network. It’s a group of 13 (and counting) Centres aiming to improve the use of evidence in decision-making in various policy areas from education, to policing, to…
How might lower-ranking officials have a greater impact on policy development than previously assumed?
How can small-territory, subnational governments make the most of their position? Subnational governments like the devolved governments in the UK combine some of the opportunities and limitations of the national and the local governments between which they sit. They have…
Unleashing the power of public procurement
Understandably given the pressure on budgets, the focus is often on procuring public services at the lowest possible cost. But there is a growing recognition of the potential to use public procurement more imaginatively to promote innovation and promote a…
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…
Researching the Use of Evidence in Policy Making
What does it mean to be a ‘knowledge broker’? What impact does knowledge brokerage have on government policymaking? Why might evidence use at the local level require different approaches, and how would this be implemented? Here at the Wales Centre…
What works in getting evidence used?
One of the Early Intervention Foundation’s (EIF) core functions is to see that evidence on early intervention is actually being used in policy, decision-making and practice. Jo Casebourne and Donna Molloy summarise some of the varied approaches we have taken…
Our Theory of Change
There is widespread agreement across diverse policy and research communities that evidence can play a vital role in processes of democratic deliberation on the aims, design and implementation of public policy interventions. The challenge for everyone working at the interface…
Welsh Policy and Politics in Unprecedented Times
On 24th May 2019, the Wales Centre for Public Policy and the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) organised a conference called ‘Welsh Policy and Politics in Unprecedented Times’ which brought together 45 academics, practitioners…
How can governments engage with the public about healthcare?
One of the projects that the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) currently has on the go looks at ways that governments can engage with the public about healthcare. The Welsh Government’s plan for health and social care “A Healthier…
The role of behaviour change in shaping public policy decisions
Behaviour change is an increasingly common theme in public policy. Peter John goes as far to claim that ‘many of the greatest challenges in public policy can only be fully addressed by changing the behaviour of citizens’. Previously, public policy…
