Guest blogger Robert Picciotto explores whether the democratic evaluation model from half a century ago is still fit for purpose in April 2015. Are current democratic evaluations adapted to modern-day challenges?

What does ‘place’ offer to public service development? in this blog from December 2016 What Works Scotland’s Claire Bynner examines the role of place-based approaches – what works and what doesn’t.

Dr Claire Bynner from What Works Scotland writes about complexity and shares some of the highlights from the Social Research Association’s 2016 annual conference. She discusses how we might bridge the gap between complexity and simplicity.

Richard Brunner reflects on the Economics of Prevention seminar (28 May 2015) jointly organised by What Works Scotland and NHS Health Scotland, which explored fresh perspectives and understandings on what works in prevention in policing, health and housing.

Karen Seditas offers an overview in May 2016 of What Works Scotland knowledge partners’ resources for Evidence to Action (E2A).

Guest blogger Cormac Russell of Nurture Development continues the May 2015 discussion on asset-based community development, arguing that principles of inclusion and social and environmental justice are at the heart of asset-based community development (ABCD).

Guest blogger Dr Akwugo Emejulu reflects on the relevance of asset-based community development in April 2015. She argues that ABCD, perhaps inadvertently, directly contributes to ‘privatising’ social problems by shifting the responsibility for tackling inequality and injustice from the state to individuals and communities using the rhetoric of ‘community empowerment’.

Exploration of a March 2018 report generated by the work of What Works Scotland, Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership and partners into emerging multi-layered preventative partnership working in the Aberdeenshire area. 

What Works Scotland research fellow Dr Hayley Bennett outlines some key ideas from her February 2018 presentation on collaborative practice and public service reform in Scotland.

Gary Smith, a member of the Fife welfare reform inquiry team reflects, in December 2017, on the experience and impact of the collaborative action research activities for What Works Scotland.