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HOST Policy Research: Our Clients

Since we were established in 1986, HOST has built an international reputation for bringing a fresh approach to market intelligence and policy research in education, employment, training and related studies. HOST has also built up a strong track record across the public sector for practically focused evaluation studies. Recent client organisations have included:

• Government departments, including the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS – formerly DfES), the Office of Manpower Economics (OME), the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS – formerly BERR), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Home Office, and various other directly managed national and regional agencies, including a number of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). HOST holds three framework agreements with DWP in the following areas: Ageing and Pensions; General Labour Market Research, Integrating Employment and Skills and Welfare to Work Programme Evaluation; and Commissioning, Performance and Business Delivery.
• The Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS – formerly QIA), Learning and Skills Council (LSC) National Office, and a range of local LSCs. HOST has ongoing framework agreements for research and evaluation with the LSC National Office in three areas: Good Practice; Operational Evaluation; and Strategic Evaluation. We have also recently been awarded three new framework agreements with them in: Offender Learning (OLASS), Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) and General Adult Learning. HOST has held a framework agreement with LSIS for the last four years and was recently successful in renewing that agreement for a further three years.
• Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), and Standard Setting Bodies (SSBs) – HOST has worked with the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) to build SSCs’ research capacity and expertise.
• The Training and Development Agency for Schools, Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), and other education development and quality assurance bodies in the public sector.
• Non-governmental and voluntary organisations.

HOST’s work across these clients is widely recognised as practical as well as authoritative. Our work programme has included numerous sector and cross-sector studies to inform policy developments, and enhance participation and the delivery of education and employment programmes.