The Centre for Public Policy and Management Applied policy research

The work of the CPPM

Research

The CPPM works on applied policy research, addressing practical issues in the public sector. The research undertaken by members of the CPPM has included studies of many subjects: this is a selection.

CPPM reports and working papers

These papers outline research findings on selected topics. They are in PDF format and can be downloaded by clicking on the titles. They include

1. Modernising Scotland's licensing laws
2. Community care
3. The future of Scotland's Councillors
4. Community planning in Scotland
5. Response to the consultation on research into mental health law

Reports available from the websites of the agencies who commissioned research from us include:

• Public engagement in the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh: Scottish Parliament
• Voices from the edge: poverty in Moray, Moray: Moray against Poverty
• Community safety for minority ethnic groups in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership
• Cross-party groups in the Scottish parliament, Edinburgh: Scottish Parliament.

Projects

Public Engagement with the Committees of the Scottish Parliament.

The Scottish Parliament is committed to the adoption of a participative approach in all stages of the legislative process and to power sharing between the people, the parliament and the Scottish Executive. This research project was an evaluation of the participative initiatives that were introduced by the Scottish Parliament in Session One, especially as they related to politically marginalised groups, and an analysis of mechanisms for participation that committees of the parliament might adopt during Session Two. The research, by Peter McLaverty, Sue Morris and Linda Strangward, involved a review of relevant literature, interviews with MSPs, Scottish Parliament officials and officers and members of a variety of civil society groups and organisations. The report was presented in May 2004.

Mentoring of community research in Moray.

Moray against Poverty have prepared for local research in Moray, considering the problems of rural poverty. Paul Spicker and Linda Strangward supported the initiative, offering training to the volunteers and advising on the progress of the research. MAP's report, Voices from the Edge, includes a foreword from Paul Spicker.

A consultation on the development of Aberdeen's schools

This was commissioned by Aberdeen Council Education Department. The 3Rs project is leading Aberdeen Council's plans to redevelop schools with funds from a mix of public and private finance. Part of the remit of the project is to consult widely with stakeholders. Paul Spicker has been assisting in that process, devising a questionnaire and processing responses to develop a fuller understanding of the concerns and needs of people involved in schooling, including teachers, pupils, parents, community groups and others. Pupils were consulted through a special seminar arranged for class representatives from schools across Aberdeen. The representatives returned to their school to prepare photographs, comments and feedback from pupils, which were processed into the final report. The report, Schools in Aberdeen: responses to the 3Rs consultation, is available on Aberdeen City Council's website.

Police complaints and disciplinary procedures.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland undertook a review of complaints and disciplinary procedures in the Scottish police forces in 2003. As part of this, the CPPM was commissioned to examine analogous procedures elsewhere in the public sector and in professional organisations. Although the report wa not released publicly, HMIC's report on Quality of Service (2004) makes extensive reference to it, and described it as "invaluable" in informing their conclusions.

Subsequently in 2009, the CPPM undertook further work for the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland, examining alternative models of complains handling in Britain and abroad. This work concludes in November 2009.

Cross-party groups in the Scottish Parliament.

During its first session, the Scottish Parliament introduced cross party groups, drawing members from different political parties within the Scottish Parliament. The Standards Committee of the parliament, which commissioned the research, is responsible for the registration and monitoring of the activities of cross party groups. The research investigated the purpose, workings and monitoring of cross party groups. It involved the review of literature relating to cross party groups in the Scottish Parliament, a comparison of cross party groups in the Scottish Parliament with the position of similar groups in other parliaments and legislatures, and interviews with MSPs and other members of cross party groups in the Scottish Parliament. The report, by Sue Morris, Peter McLaverty and Linda Strangward, was presented in June 2004. It can be viewed at www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/ committees/standards/papers-04/stp04-08.pdf .

Community safety for minority ethnic groups in Aberdeenshire.

The CPPM has been working in partnership with Grampian Racial Equality Council to consult the views of people from minority ethnic groups living in Aberdeenshire. A series of focus groups and interviews were held across Aberdeenshire. With 70 respondents, from a wide range of different ethnic groups, this is one of the largest studies of minority groups in rural Scotland. The report, Community Safety for Minority Ethnic Groups in Aberdeenshire, is available on the Aberdeenshire Community Safety Partnership website.

Civil partnership registration

The Scottish Executive conducted a consultation on the sensitive issue of Civil Partnership Registration for homosexual couples, and the management of the process of legislation. The CPPM was commissioned to analyse the results. Their report, The consultation on Civil Partnership Registration: Analysis of the responses, was published by the Scottish Executive in January 2004.

Consultation processes in Aberdeenshire

This was undertaken for Aberdeenshire Council. The Standards and Audit Committee of Aberdeenshire Council conducted an investigation into the council's public consultation, communication and engagement strategy. Peter McLaverty acted as an external expert adviser on the investigation.

Money Advice

A report was prepared for Glasgow Council and the Scottish Centre for Public Policy on alternative approaches to the provision of money advice in the UK.

Immigration

Researchers at the University of Leicester, working with international partners, have undertaken a survey of the circumstances of immigrants in Leicester. Linda Strangward, of the CPPM, has prepared and analysed the data.

Rural and remote issues

In 2005 the CPPM undertook an evaluation of the operation of local lettings initiatives for Albyn Housing Society. This has included fieldwork in the Highlands area. Subsequently Professor Spicker has also spoken about social inclusion, for the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

Support for homeless people

The CPPM undertook an evaluation of Spectrum, a project within Four Square offering support and training for homeless people. The work focuses on social inclusion and preparation for employability, with a strong emphasis on personal development. Professor Spicker has discussed issues of rural homlessness at a conference organised by the Scottish Housing and Employability Network.

NHS Education for Scotland: Regional Development Initiative

The CPPM's largest piece of work in 2006 has been an evaluation of the Regional Development Initiative of NHS Education for Scotland. The purpose of the RDI has been to foster links between NHS Education for Scotland and agencies within the NHS. The CPPM examined the structures, consulted with stakeholders and evaluated the process.

Social security benefits

Professor Spicker has acted as an international consultant on a government-sponsored project in South Africa examining the impact of grants on recipients, and as a special adviser for the Work and Pensions Select Committee in the House of Commons on the simplification of social security benefits. Their report on Benefits simplification was published in July 2007.

Publications

Publications by CPPM members since 2004 include:

Bonney, N., Tait, E., & Komolafe, O. (2007). Challenging Digital Inequalities: Challenges and Prospects. In Social Implications and Challenges of E-Business (Eds. Feng Li), Idea Group, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Bonney, N. (2004). Local Democracy Renewed?, The Political Quarterly, Blackwell, Oxford, Vol 75(1), pp. 43 - 51.
Centre for Public Policy and Management & Grampian Racial Equality Council, (2004). Community safety for minority ethnic groups in Aberdeenshire. Aberdeen: Aberdeen Community Safety Partnership.
Greenwood, J and Young, A (2005) 'EU Interest Representation or US Lobbying', in C Parsons and N Jabko (eds.) With US or Against US? The State of the European Union, vol 7 (Oxford: Oxford U P), pp 275-298
Greenwood, J. (2005). The significance of Citizen Interest Organisations for Europe's economic and social model. In European Challenge, The European Policy Centre, Vol 13.
Greenwood, J (2007) 'Organised Civil Society and Democratic Legitimacy in the EU', British Journal of Political Science, 37:2, 333-357
Greenwood, J. and Halpin, D. (2007) The European Commission and the Public Governance of Interest Groups in the European Union: seeking a niche between accreditation and laissez-faire, Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 8, 2
Halpin, D., & Jordan, G. (2006 ). Coherence as Choice: Constructing (or not) a Rural Policy for Scotland? . In Journal of Public Policy.
P McLaverty, The limits to public participation in capitalist society: The example of Britain, in J Font (ed.) Public Participation and Local Governance, Barcelona: ICPS, pp. 33 - 49.
P. McLaverty, S. Morris and L. Strangward (2004) Development of Public Engagement with the Work of the Scottish Parliament Committees, The Robert Gordon University.
P McLaverty, (2005) Socialism and libertarianism, Journal of Political Ideologies, 10(2) pp. 185-198.
Mitchell, L, Chesson, R, & Williams, D (2004). NHS Carer Information Strategies.. Scottish Coalition of Carers Conference, Aberdeen.
S. Morris, P. McLaverty and L. Strangward A Critical Review of the Cross Party Group System in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Parliament, 2004, presented to the Scottish Parliament at www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/ committees/standards/papers-04/stp04-08.pdf
Spicker P (2004), The future of Social Policy, Social Policy Association (Plenary address).
Spicker P (2004), Developing indicators: issues in the use of quantitative data about poverty. In Policy and Politics 32(4), pp. 431-40.
Spicker P (2004), Foreword, in Moray against Poverty, Voices from the edge: poverty in Moray , Elgin: Moray Against Poverty Network, pp. 5.
Spicker P (2004), Low response rates. In Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, 9(2) pp. 127.
Spicker P, (2004) The future of social policy. (keynote speaker). In the Proceedings of Social Policy Association conference, Nottingham, July.
Spicker P (2005), Poverty (and eight other related entries), in T Forsyth (ed) Encyclopedia of International Development , Routledge, London.
Spicker P, (2005) Schools in Aberdeen: responses to the 3Rs consultation. Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen.
Spicker P, (2005) Targeting, residual welfare and related concepts: modes of operation in public policy, Public Administration 83(2), pp. 345-365.
Spicker P (2005), Five types of complexity, Benefits 13(1) pp. 5-9. 200
Spicker P (2005), Saving Social Policy. In Policy World 1 pp. 8-9.
Spicker P (2006), Liberty, equality, fraternity, Bristol: Policy Press.
Spicker P (2006), Policy analysis for practice: applying social policy, Bristol: Policy Press.
Spicker P (2007), The Idea of Poverty, Bristol: Policy Press.
Spicker P, Alvarez Leguizamon S, Gordon D(eds) (2007), Poverty: an international glossary, Bristol: Policy Press.
Spicker P (2007), The ethics of policy research, Evidence and policy 3(1) 99-118.
V Strachan, P Spicker, S Morris, T Damjanovic, (2004), The consultation on Civil Partnership Registration: Analysis of the responses, Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.