The Engage Project
Welcome to the ENGAGE website. This website is intended to encourage and support knowledge exchange efforts between universities, local authorities and communities and the many other agents that support better outcomes for people in their environments.
It is funded by a pilot scheme called Engaging with Scottish Local Authorities, which aims to respond to knowledge needs of local governments, promote knowledge exchange between universities and local authorities, expand networks between and among these agencies and together develop research informed evidence on practices and the delivery of services.
Local Authorities play a key role in the delivery of services that support communities and contribute to the achievement of The Scottish Government's strategic objectives. Universities are engaged in relevant research to support best practices and improved policy. Community agencies are working on the ground to improve outcomes in a range of areas including carbon reductions, improved neighbourhood safety, better supports to families caring for the elderly and so forth. Knowledge exchange is a process in which all of these partners can work together to have a greater impact in realizing their mutual goals.
The projects which are profiled on this site are funded by a partnership of the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Local Authority Research Councils' Initiative (LARCI – supported in Scotland by The Scottish Government). From a research grant call in January 2009 they commissioned five pilot projects, each lasting up to 12 months, to enhance knowledge exchange between Scottish-based academics and local authorities. Project leaders will be seeking further funding to support the progress which is being made in this initial year through ESRC follow on funding and other funding sources.
About LARCI
The Local Authorities & Research Councils’ Initiative (LARCI) aims to make academic research much more accessible and relevant to the practical needs of those working in local government. We achieve this by bringing together the UK’s Research Councils and all the main Local Government organisations, to help to create a robust research and development capacity that serves local government policy and practice, and has the stamp of academic rigour. A core element of LARCI’s mission is the co-design and co-production of research to ensure that research questions are formulated with local government in mind, and that the research process produces findings useful to this sector.
Our services: LARCI is developing services to:
- Connect local authorities to reliable sources of research and researchers
- Offer existing research fi ndings in response to research questions that local authorities are asking
- Identify areas of common concern for local government, helping authorities to join together to share current knowledge and enable joint commissions for new work
New research: LARCI has initiated research projects on four strategic questions:
- New scenarios for local governance, in the light of the profound financial, ecological, political, economic, social and technological changes
- Integrated budgeting and joint decision-making for local communities
- Co-production of services, with users, citizens, communities and other stakeholders
- Managing risk and uncertainty in local governance
Contact Andrea Turner, LARCI Strategy Manager, 01793 413121, andrea.turner@esrc.ac.uk.
