Research blog archive
Evidently useful (31st Oct 2011)
Whilst attention has understandably focused on the potential financial implosion within the eurozone...…Read more
Nudging along (19th Sep 2011)
In amongst the release, last week, of the Vickers Report into banking reform and the column inches expended... …Read more
Care services, innovation & the squeeze (31st Aug 2011)
The government’s deficit cutting programme continues to have reverberations...…Read more
Successful behaviour (4th Aug 2011)
A recent Institute for Government debate, on the public policy applications of behavioural change theory, brought to light the sheer volume of innovative work…Read more
Is the Government doing its research? (10th Jun 2011)
The Government is increasingly finding that its evidence-based policies are stalling in the face of unconsidered public opposition. The Conservative Party embraced…Read more
Quality control (9th May 2011)
Recent research from the Institute for Government (Policymaking in the Real World) has found that central government often lacks robust mechanisms for…Read more
Researching your views (20th Apr 2011)
When thinking about research it’s often easy to conjure up thoughts of weighty tomes of analysis and statistical data. Whilst such publications are…Read more
Demographics in Public Affairs (8th Apr 2011)
Public Affairs News this month released the results of the UK Public Affairs Survey 2011. The poll of public affairs professionals, which was carried out…Read more
Keeping it Fresh… (1st Apr 2011)
Someone once said that “fresh activity is the only way of overcoming adversity”. This poses an interesting question around the value of research in public affairs…Read more
Cutting research? (14th Mar 2011)
David Cameron made much of his commitment to evidence-based policymaking during the election campaign. Yet recent FOI requests published in the media…Read more
Reaching out with research (25th Feb 2011)
The need to build a strong evidence base to support the arguments we put forward on behalf of our clients is central to any work we undertake - as has been…Read more
Evidence-based research (9th Feb 2011)
One of my colleagues in her October Blog "Research Matters" wrote that “collection and analysis of information is integral to the development of any…Read more
A clean bill of health... (4th Feb 2011)
With the Health Bill wending its way through Parliament, Westminster Advisers has been working with ComRes to find out what MPs really think about the…Read more
Keeping an ear to the ground (25th Jan 2011)
Writing briefings for parliamentarians and seeking meetings to address clients’ concerns has long been seen to form the ‘bread and butter’ of a basic public affairs…Read more
“Risky business” (21st Jan 2011)
It was interesting to note the news released at the end of last year that 2010 marked a substantial upswing in deal making by private equity firms. The value of UK buy-outs…Read more
It’s good to talk (5th Jan 2011)
We are back in the thick of it after the festive break, conducting interviews with local authorities and PCTs for a research project we are working on…Read more
Facts and figures (23rd Dec 2010)
Busy in the run up to the Christmas holiday scoping options for client on a piece of economic research to begin early in the new year. It's aim: to strengthen…Read more
After the Spending Review (22nd Oct 2010)
As expected, the government's spending review set a broad framework for departmental spending up to 2015. Aside from a few high profile issues, such as university funding…Read more
Research matters (19th Oct 2010)
Collection and analysis of information is integral to the development of any communications or public affairs strategy, necessary both to establish…Read more
Wikipedia killed the research star… (24th Sep 2010)
Research - defined by that “bastion” of 21st century research tools, Wikipedia - as the “search for knowledge”, is all too easily conducted at the click of a button…Read more
Goodbye AVEs (3rd Sep 2010)
We were very interested to note that the international body for measuring communications has pledged to find an alternative to advertising…Read more
What August Holiday? (17th Aug 2010)
With many clients away in deepest darkest August, we are busy cracking on with communications research in order to hit the ground running in the autumn…Read more
Knowing the policy risks (26th Jul 2010)
Today's FT covers a new report that questions private equity's abilities at generating return on investment. The sector has quickly criticised the research…Read more
Working out who to talk to - mapping your audience (16th Jul 2010)
When starting new public affairs and communications campaigns there is always the temptation to take your message and start shouting about it to anyone who will listen…Read more
Investing in understanding (30th Jun 2010)
Public affairs and communications management consultants need to have a detailed understanding of the??business environment…Read more
Evaluation, evaluation, evaluation (17th Jun 2010)
That's the message from last night's CIPR Excellence Awards. Whether it's public affairs, reputation management, internal communications or a consumer…Read more
Gaining an insight into the new government's thinking (17th Jun 2010)
The new coalition government is not releasing a lot of detail about its plans. This reflects the complex arrangement between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats…Read more
Success at the polls (13th May 2010)
Election nights usually test the pollsters nerves. In hindsight, little cause for them to worry this time round. From the start of the campaign…Read more
Winning public sector contracts (19th Apr 2010)
Much election coverage lately on cutting the deficit through efficiency savings, including contracting out more public sector functions…Read more