APPENDIX 3
Memorandum from the Department for Work
and Pensions
INTRODUCTION
1. The Committee invited comments from users
on ESRC's work, strategy and expenditure plans. The Department
for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been developing stronger links
with ESRC over the last year and this note provides the Committee
with information about these developments to inform its scrutiny.
BACKGROUND
2. DWP is a relatively new Department having
been formed in 2001 and it has needed to rebuild linkages with
ESRC in the context of its newly developed policy and analytical
agendas. Over the last year DWP researchers and economists have
been strengthening linkages with ESRC with a view to improving
DWP's engagement with and usage of ESRC work. Details of modes
of closer working are set out below and Annex A lists the key
areas of mutual interest where closer working between DWP and
ESRC would be particularly beneficial.
3. The Strategic Plan for ESRC in 2002 signalled
ESRC's commitment to developing a "Concordat" with DWP
as part of its aim to foster closer working relationships with
government. A Concordat would provide a framework for joint initiatives,
for example joint research projects, programmes, seminars, and
joint working on training and skills issues to allow academic
and government researchers to work together on developing research
methods and datasets and data matching initiatives.
AREAS OF
MUTUAL INTEREST
4. The ESRC's New Strategic Framework focuses
on capacity, research, engagement and performance and these are
covered in turn below.
Capacity building: investing in training, methodology
and quality datasets
5. This is an important issue, not just
in relation to skills gaps in economics and social statistics,
but also development of people, project and work management skills
amongst researchers. DWP welcomes this emphasis in the Strategic
Framework. We have already completed two CASE studentships whereby
PhD students spend three months working in the Department as part
of their doctoral studies. Both of these have been successes.
I personally have benefited from this when a recent PhD student
completed a literature review on family formation and children's
well-being. This helped shape our thinking on the issue.
6. The Department has now agreed with ESRC
as part of our Concordat discussions to examine the possibilities
for developing opportunities for:
(a) secondments between academics and government
researchers;
(b) for 50:50 funding for postgraduate studentships
to work on projects guided by DWP longer term research needs;
and
(c) short term placements for postgraduate
students.
7. The Department welcomes the National
Dataset Strategy and the appointment of a Data Coordinator. This
will provide a valuable resource for DWP as increasingly it exploits
the capacity to utilise government administrative databases and
major surveys data in its analytical work for policy purposes.
The Department is keen to be involved in discussions about data
strategy.
8. The Department values the training provided
by the ESRC Centre for Research Methods and training programmes
incorporated into other centres such as the UK Longitudinal studies
Centre, the Centre for Applied Social Surveys and the Research
Methods programme. The forthcoming ESRC-Government Forum on research
methods is a helpful initiative in terms of supporting the development
of the Department's analysts.
Research: focus on cutting edge research and on
areas of national importance
9. This is important, as ESRC is better
placed than individual government departments to develop research
programmes in some strategic topic areas. In order to strengthen
policy relevance the Department has agreed with ESRC that:
(a) ESRC will contact DWP early in thinking
about new research programmes to get input before proceeding to
build a joint forward agenda;
(b) ESRC will invite DWP onto commissioning
panels where there is mutual interest in a topic; and
(c) DWP will identify areas of longer term
strategic research interest and inform ESRC to enable them to
consider their programme development in the light of these interests.
10. The Department has also agreed to explore
actively opportunities for example for coordinating ESRC programmes
with DWP programmes of research, for example forthcoming ESRC
programmes on the New Dynamics of Ageing, and on Preventative
Health.
11. The Department is considering with ESRC
the possibility of opportunities for co-funding of longitudinal
data collection, for example a Wealth and Assets Survey, as longitudinal
studies are of strategic value but are costly and need to be approached
in a way that maximises the value of scarce research resources.
Engagement and knowledge transfer
12. The Department commends the ESRC for
introducing a proactive dissemination programme. The Department
agreed with ESRC that DWP will identify areas of interest for
thematic seminar series and one-off policy seminars where ESRC
will commission researchers to produce papers on specific topics
for discussion; and possibly a thematic research seminar series.
Performance—working efficiently and effectively
including evaluation of activities and impact
13. Over the last year, with the appointment
of its new Chairman, the ESRC has become more outward looking
and DWP officials have found a much greater willingness to engage
with government concerns than previously.
14. To this end the ESRC is finalising a
draft "Concordat" for agreement with Departmental officials.
30 September 2004
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