\ professional development
Public Money & Management
Andrew Gray, Jane Broadbent and Michaela Lavender As a community of academics, policy-makers and
New arrangements for the assessment and funding of research practitioners, perhaps now is the time to think about whether
under the Research Excellence Framework (REF) are likely seeking to measure such impact is either desirable or possible.
to consider the economic and social impact of research, Would it help policy-makers and practitioners to improve
including its impact on public policy. policy and practice or will it simply provide a comfort to
CIPFA’s journal, Public Money & Management (PMM), funders who wish to find legitimacy for their allocation of
acts as a bridge between researchers, policy-makers and resources? Would the desire to measure bring benefits or
practitioners as they advance policy-making and practice simply lead to game-playing? If we do wish to measure, then
within the public services. The emphasis is on demonstrating what is it we should be measuring?
the usefulness of research for practice and embedding If you would like to submit a 1000-word debate article to
research as a core activity in public policy-making. Public Money & Management on whether and how to include
Alongside the main articles we include shorter discussions impact in the REF, please send it to Michaela Lavender:
of emerging developments, as well as debate pieces on e:michaela.lavender@cipfa.org.uk
matters of concern to public managers. We encourage * A version of this article was first published in PMM as an
practitioners and academics to contribute by sending us editorial entitled ‘The impact of research on practice, and the
debate articles. emerging Research Excellence Framework’ in May 2009.
Measuring research impact The May 2009 issue includes articles on:
While Public Money & Management’s growth – for example r Privatisation
we have increased publication from four times a year to six – r Devolution
offers evidence of the journal’s value, in some ways we simply r Use of routine data for cancer service management
assume its usefulness to practitioners and policy-makers. r Payment by Results (PbR)
How we actually identify the impacts of research on practice r A new alert system for local councils in financial crisis
is more problematic. We have difficulty in knowing what r Accountability practices of the UK’s largest charitable
influences those who make positive impacts or changes in organisations
practice. And how do you judge the effectiveness of something r Civil service’s private office system for ministers
designed to ensure that something else did not happen? r Performance management in a UK police force.
Councillors’ Guide to Local Government
Finance – DVD Video Resource
Briefing councillors on local government finance just got easier.
At the end of June, CIPFA will be releasing a new video training resource
Councillors’ Guide to Local Government Finance. The DVD includes videos
covering:
r Revenue expenditure
r Capital
r Scrutiny
r Audit and governance
r Partnership working
r Efficiency
Plus, there is panel discussion covering current issues and a brief
summary of councillors’ legal responsibilities. It also includes a summary
booklet that provides an easy and ongoing reminder and supplement.
The video resource was produced in association with e-ssential
Resources Limited. For more information and to purchase your copy,
please visit the CIPFA Shop at www.cipfa.org.uk/shop
18 CIPFA | Spreadsheet magazine | JUNE 2009
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