Dr Hayley Bennett and Dr Richard Brunner share insights on the role of professional researchers in collaborative, participatory and action research approaches, and put forward recommendations for those thinking about initiating CAR processes.
Blog: Getting evidence into action – how can we understand what we already know?
What Works Scotland co-director Dr Sarah Morton writes in January 2017 about the processes involved in setting up an evidence bank which allows public and voluntary sector partners to access existing research evidence to help decision-making.
Blog: How can place-based approaches be used in rural Scotland?
In this guest post, Jane Atterton from Scotland’s Rural College (SRC) examines what a ‘place-based approach’ means for Scotland’s rural areas.
Blog: Facilitative Leadership – Involving citizens and communities in local decision-making
Claire Bynner, Oliver Escobar and Wendy Faulkner describe a What Works Scotland project to create a training course that would develop and cascade skills in facilitative leadership.
Blog: Meeting change-makers – connecting research and the ‘real world’
What helps deepen our understanding of different aspects to public sector reform? This blog by Kirsty Deacon about her 2017 internship at the Scottish Government explores u.lab online learning as a tool to help develop people’s capacity as change-makers.
Blog: Making data meaningful in West Dunbartonshire
Blog about a project which examines how evidence is being used in West Dunbartonshire to make decisions and how it could be made more useful for community planning partners and local communities.
Blog: Participation and representation in Scotland’s third sector interfaces – a new model?
Jane Cullingworth, a What Works Scotland PhD candidate, reports in November 2016 on work to develop a vision that re-imagines community planning in Scotland.
Blog: Better Place – Communities, Citizens and Consumers & New Approaches to Social Policy & Public Services
Alistair Stoddart of The Democratic Society, shares some initial thoughts in March 2015 from the Better Place forum, a gathering of community development workers, academics, campaigners, public service managers, and local and national senior officials to look at ways to allow greater citizen involvement in public service decisions and delivery.
Blog: Shifting public services to focus on prevention: Impediments & implications
What Works Scotland directors James Mitchell and Ken Gibb examine prevention and what, in March 2015, stands in the way of making progress in a shift to focusing on prevention in public services.
Blog: Working with What Works Scotland
Francesca Ainsworth, Sophie Humphries and Ally Macleod from Aberdeenshire Council highlight their plans for working with What Works Scotland in December 2014.