At this seminar on 26 April 2007 we looked at the role of the voluntary and community sector in increasing the knowledge base through research activities.
We discussed the range of research undertaken by the sector, its role in filling gaps left by the public and private sector research, for example, looking at excluded groups and new areas of enquiry. We also examined how the public sector can access research and information undertaken by the voluntary sector and incorporate different types of research into analysis.
Three guest speakers talked about their experiences in different sectors.
Greg Piper
Research Officer, National Council of Voluntary Organisations
Greg presented a general overview of how research within the voluntary and community sector can result in improved engagement with the public and or private sector.
Download Greg's presentation (PDF, 31KB)
Stuart Deaton
Audit Commission
Stuart presented the main findings from a study that the Audit Commission has conducted on how effectively local authorities are currently commissioning services from the VCS. He also discussed the main research challenges encountered:
- Lack of common definitions and language.
- Lack of data on the composition of the VCS and the nature of the relationship between the voluntary and public sectors at local level.
- Paucity of attempts to establish value for money.
Stuart also discussed the implications for future policy and research.
Download Stuart's presentation (PDF, 60KB)
Gudrun Limbrick
Director, Wordworks Research
Gudrun looked at the unique opportunities the sector had to produce innovative and, most importantly, inclusive research.
She presented examples from recent work and examined how research produced by the sector has far greater potential impact beyond the sector itself than is currently recognised. Gudrun is an independent researcher who has been working with the voluntary and community sector for the past 16 years.
Download Gudrun's presentation (PDF, 117KB)