HOST Policy Research: Publications
Published HOST Research
In this section we provide links to HOST research outputs that have been published by clients.
Benefits of open access to scholarly research outputs to private sector business
HOST recently completed an intensive and pioneering study for JISC on the benefits to UK industry and commerce from Open Access to higher education research outputs. The UK study was commissioned by JISC on behalf of the UK and home nation stakeholders to the UKs Open Access Implementation Group (OAIG).
Knowledge transfer from university research has been a long standing issue for public policy, and with current debate on how UK businesses and others can secure ‘open access’ to leading edge research outcomes. ‘Green’ Open access uses publicly accessible on-line repositories for such research, ‘Gold’ open access makes research publications freely accessible, but both open-up business and other access to research findings that may previously have been restricted or limited to publication in, for example, subscription journals. JISC and OAIG were looking for robust evidence of how businesses benefit from open access arrangements already in place. The project focused on UK- based businesses - small and large, and open access use of published and systematically disseminated research-based outputs from university and public sector research bodies.
The report itself is here:
And the JISC response to it is here:
Impact Evaluation of the UK Teaching and Learning Research Programme led by Dr David Parsons with Stefan Burkey, Alan Bloomfield and Dr Jane Holland
The UK Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) is a long standing and major initiative by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) aimed at supporting leading edge educational research and building applied education research capacities inUK universities. Funding of the eight-year programme has now drawn to a conclusion, and ESRC commissioned HOST Policy Research (HOST) to conduct an independent and summative evaluation of its impact both on policy and professional practice. Application, and achieving impact on both policy and practice, has been a central goal of ESRC funding of the programme and HOST was asked to look at:
- The extent to which the TLRP has had an impact upon policy and practice.
- The ways in which the TLRP has achieved impact through its dissemination, networking and knowledge transfer activities.
- The value added to policy and practice impact by Programme organisation and management.
The scope of the seven month evaluation was broadly based and the evaluation provided distinctive messages for TLRP impact in each home country of the UK, and internationally. It covered the full range of TLRP activity – with over 60 funded ‘national’ projects directly involving over 300 researchers, and nearly 50 additionally funded activities and individuals.
The HOST team collated evidence and experiences not just from the funded activities, but also from national stakeholders and co-funders such as the higher education funding agencies, and from project partners.
The final report can be seen via the following link:
An evaluation of the impact of a training intervention on behaviour towards carers and delivery of services to carers by workers (predominantly health and social care staff) who have undertaken the training. A project for Skills for Care working jointly with Skills for Health, led by Dorothy Berry-Lound, with Dr Jo Verrill, Stefan Burkey, Frances Chinemana, Dr Claire Harris and Susan Lanz.
The project delivered a mix of quantitative and qualitative research measures to provide a robust evaluation of the impact of the training programme. Activities took take place on a rolling basis to reflect training activity on the ground and involved research with carers and staff.
The research report has now been published and can be downloaded as a PDF from the following link:
Impact Evaluation of the UK Teaching and Learning Research Programme
The UK Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) is a long standing and major initiative by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) aimed at supporting leading edge educational research and building applied education research capacities in UK universities. Funding of the eight-year programme has now drawn to a conclusion, and ESRC commissioned HOST Policy Research (HOST) to conduct an independent and summative evaluation of its impact both on policy and professional practice. The final research report is now available via the following link:
New Choices Approach to Investors in People
The recent HOST research reviewing the New Choices approach to Investors in People for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills has been published and is available at:
Work for the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) convened a Global Dialogue Forum on vocational education and training (VET) in late September 2010, with the focus on the employment and the working environment of teachers and trainers, as well as with the larger lifelong learning framework to which public and private vocational education and training contributes. In preparation for this forum, Kenneth Walsh and David Parsons at HOST Policy Research were commissioned to write two key parts of the preparatory form report.
The report assessed the changes in the terms and conditions of teachers and trainers in a range of countries across the world, examining not only working time and remuneration, but also how technology and other innovative practices have altered the ways of working and the impact on working conditions of those affected.
‘Teachers and trainers for the future – technical and vocational education and training in a changing world’ (Report for discussion at the Global Dialogue Forum on VET, 29-30 September 2010)
The Evaluation of the co-financed European Social Fund Programme in the South West 2002-2007
This was primarily an assessment of impact and of programme management plus an appraisal of innovation and good practice within individual projects many of which were third sector based. The HOST team analysed the statistical and documentary evidence, interviewed LSC mangers (regional and local) and their staff, and visited providers delivering individual projects throughout the region. Twelve published comprehensive case studies were produced which highlighted what had been achieved, the factors that determined that achievement and the added value for the locality and beneficiaries. The case studies from the research can be seen at:
The full report can be found here:
Evaluation of Exodus
HOST conducted a two year evaluation of a major development programme on offender rehabilitation in London and the South East of England, funded throughy the ESF EQUAL programme. The EXODUS programme aimed to develop innovative solutions across the region to tackle what was emerging as chronic influence on re-offending and social cohension - the limited opportunities available to offenders in custody and subsequently for employment rehabilitation. Some 15 development projects were funded linked to individual or groups of prisons in the region - with nearly a half of all prison establishments in these two regions taking part in one or more of these development projects. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS), NACRO and other stakeholders were closely involved in the evaluation which also looked at transferability and wider policy implications. The study showed high levels of innovation in projects set up by the voluntary sector, and also by local government led partnerships, but with some rigidities from those led within the prison and probation service and through programme-level co-ordination. Programme outcomes were substantial and greatly exceeded targets for offender engagement and rehabilitation activities. At least of two of the innovative partnerships showed very high levels of impact, and early successes in reducing re-offending through employment based pathways. However, impact evidence from most projects was partial or limited, and alongside changes to local funding and institutional arrangements due to policy changes and poor preparation for mainstreaming by over a half of the projects, this held back trasnferability and further opportunities for funding the innovations. The authors concluded that this was an imaginative response to an acure problem, but where: ‘great opportunities to use the experience built up to tackle long standing issues seem to have been systemically missed by policy-makers locally and nationally’.
Impact of Education and Training
HOST conducted a 25-country cross-European review of teacher training in post-secondary
education for Cedefop and the results have been published in Impact of education
and training, third report on vocational training research in Europe: background
report, Descy, P.; Tessaring, M. (eds) Luxembourg: EUR-OP, 2004
(Cedefop Reference series, 54). The report can be accessed via this link:
Best practice in tackling NEETs
This project was concluded in February 2009. The purpose of the project was to evaluate a number of good practice interventions or systems in working with young people who are classified as NEET, and through data collection and action research to identify the key mechanisms of success that can inform policies, priorities, action plans and the design of the 14-19 system to facilitate improved participation, retention and success of post-16 learners. The final report with engagement scenario modelling provided evidence-based policy recommendations. The project outputs included a final research report, a summary report for practitioners, a summary report for policy-makers and managers, and two best practice guides, one in relation to Flexible Starts and the other E2E as well as a dissemination event. The interim summary report can be accessed via this link:
QCF Unit Funding Trials
This evaluation was undertaken for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2009 and 2010. While the full versions of the Interim and Final reports have not been made available, the LSC provided a synopsis of the Interim report to the Excellence Gateway hosted by LSIS. The evaluation of Unit Funding Trials looked at the early trials run by the LSC in both Learner and Employer Responsive funding routes in 2008/09 and 2009/10. The interim report looks at the scale and scope of take up in the trials, some funding issues, policy alignment and expected next steps. The LSC summary can be found here:
“Because of their existing knowledge and contacts HOST were able to hit the ground running on a project with a very short turnaround time, which enabled milestones to be hit in a timely manner.”