Reports and research

Improving Small Scale Grant Funding

15 July 2007 | Authors: Louisa Thomson,

A discussion paper, supported by The Office for Civil Society (previously referred to as The Office of the Third Sector at the time this publication was released), that brings together both domestic and international evidence to guide decisions on how

Good Neighbours

5 July 2007 | Authors:

The “Strong and Prosperous Communities – 2006 White Paper” outlined central government’s commitment to localism and community empowerment. At the time, many housing associations were not working in close collaboration with local authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) despite the

Why involve and what are the outcomes? The duty to involve for best value authorities

5 June 2007 | Authors:

This briefing was commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government to inform the development of the “Duty to Involve” – a duty which which was set to be launched in April 2008 for local authorities to work under.

Contentious citizens: Civil society’s role in campaigning for social change

1 May 2007 | Authors: Kate Lalor, Paul Hilder,

This paper traces the story of campaigning for progressive social change from its origins in the late eighteenth century through to the present day, analysing a range of British campaigns from “The Chartist movement” to “Make Poverty History, and international

Social Innovation: what it is, why it matters, how it can be accelerated

1 March 2007 | Authors: Ben Sanders, Geoff Mulgan, Rushanara Ali, Simon Tucker,

This report examines how social innovation happens in NGOs, the public sector, movements, networks and markets. It presents an analysis of the history, the theory and the process, paving a way for social innovation to play an increasingly significant role

Parliamentary Inquiry into the Role of Councillors

1 March 2007 | Authors:

This paper draws together evidence from the Transforming Neighbourhoods programme and research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation about the role of elected members in neighbourhood working and how this role is likely to change as neighbourhood working becomes more embedded

Cities in Transition: Global exchange forum report

22 December 2006 | Authors:

The question of how we live together under conditions of rapid demographic change and economic and social transformation is at the very heart of thinking about cities today. We believe that only by waking up to the true potential of

The World in our Neighbourhood

22 December 2006 | Authors:

This paper looks at the particular challenges for local authorities and community organisations developing neighbourhood working in areas with very diverse populations. The paper was prepared for a conference run in partnership with LB Haringey, one of the most diverse

Where’s the Money? Neighbourhood governance and the future of local finance

22 November 2006 | Authors:

This paper presented recommendations on how the reform of local public finance in England could appropriately reflect the government’s plans for a strengthened tier of neighbourhood governance, which appeared on 26 October 2006 in Strong and Prosperous Communities: the local

How local government devolves and why – Part 2

22 November 2006 | Authors:

Part 2: Developing local strategies. This briefing, commissioned by LGA and IDeA, outlines the building-blocks, tactics and approaches which can make up local authority startegies to enagaging with communities. It is illustarted by numerous case studies of best practice, many

How local government devolves and why

1 November 2006 | Authors:

Why work in neighbourhoods and communities? This briefing, commissioned by LGA and IDeA, looks at why local government devolves, decentralises and empowers, the impact this can have and the strategies councils have adopted to engage with their citizens.

Life begins at 60: what kind of NHS after 2008?

28 October 2006 | Authors:

Can the NHS evolve into a national wellness service capable of maximising people’s health rather than just treating us when we get ill? That’s the question at the heart of a visionary document about the future of the NHS by