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1. Introduction
The overarching aim of the DD Analytical Services Division is to place good evidence and analysis at the heart of policy-making in the Development Department. Research and analysis is carried out by economists, statisticians and social researchers in house and through commissioned studies. Information about the topics on which it is anticipated the Development Department's research programme will focus during financial year 2005 - 6 is given below.
The 2005-06 programme is being placed only on the website: a printed version of the programme will not be distributed. Most projects are commissioned through selective competitive tendering. Interested contractors are advised to check the social research page of the Scottish Executive's web site http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research/Research on a regular basis. Invitations to submit expressions of interest in projects in the Development Department programme will be placed on the web site as they are taken forward during the course of the year.
2. 2005-06 Research to support the portfolio of the Minister for Communities
The Communities portfolio embraces policy on housing, regeneration, homelessness, the land use planning system, building standards, poverty and social inclusion, equalities and voluntary issues. Topics on which it is anticipated that work will be commissioned during the year are listed below. Further details will be available when projects are taken forward and an invitation to submit expressions of interests is placed on the website.
Social Inclusion
Closing the Opportunity Gap
Impact assessment and synthesis report.
Financial Inclusion Action Plan
Review, monitoring and evaluation
Voluntary Issues
Monitoring of Scottish compact - sweep 2.
As part of the Scottish Compact Implementation Strategy, a follow up survey will be conducted of Executive Departments, Agencies and NDPBs and a representative sample of voluntary sector organisations to explore how the implementation of the principles of the Scottish Compact have bedded in and to identity any changes since the baseline survey.
Full cost recovery in the voluntary sector.
As part of the Strategic Review of Voluntary Sector Funding, an independent assessment of the likely impact of full cost recovery has already been commissioned to inform the implementation of FCR. Research will also be required to monitor and evaluate the impact of FCR on a range of service providers following the introduction of guidance and to ascertain how widely the principle is being adopted.
Role and impact of the voluntary sector.
The Voluntary Issues Unit are interested in generating evidence to help develop more robust ways to assess the impact of volunteering and of the voluntary sector as a whole.
Equalities
Multiple discrimination
A comprehensive review of evidence may be required to explore the nature and impact of multiple discrimination. Research may also be required to explore how people with a complex range of needs access key services.
Implementation and Impact of legislation on race relations and disability.
It will be important to evaluate legislation on a number of levels including how the duties have worked, identify good practice and how to effectively coordinate the delivery of different duties.
Housing and Regeneration
Housing Allocation
A suite of projects on housing allocations including work on:
(a) Common Housing Registers (in progress)
(b) lettings policies and practices
(c) applicant / tenant perspectives
Implementation of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003
A suite of projects to inform implementation of the Act including possible work on operation of the homelessness legislation and the effectiveness and impact of preventative activities.
Right to Buy
Research is planned to explore the views and experiences of Right to Buy amongst tenants and owners to inform a report to the Scottish Parliament on the effect of Right to Buy due by September 2006. Further research may also be required to inform the report.
Evaluation of Supporting People
The different elements of this work are currently being scoped out but a number of discrete pieces of research are likely to be commissioned including an examination of the existing evidence base and data sources, a cost / benefit analysis of Supporting People funding and examination of Unit Costs of service delivery and wider evaluative work to assess the impact of the programme on different client groups.
Mobile homes
Research to provide an up-to-date picture of the number of mobile homes and sites in Scotland, identify who is living in mobile homes and why and explore the nature and extent of any problems experienced by residents of mobile homes.
Planning
Invitations for expressions of interest for planning research during the rest of the year will be advertised.
Building Standards
Please see the Scottish Building Standards Agency website for details of Building Standards research in 2005-6.
3. Guidance for Potential Contractors
Much of the Department's research is commissioned by way of selective competitive tender. Most often this occurs through the issue of invitations to a selected number of contractors to tender for a contract on the basis of a specification setting out the particular requirement for the work.
3.1 Expressions of Interest
Contractors who wish to be considered for invitation to tender for specific projects are advised to check the social research page of the Scottish Executives web site ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research/Research) on a regular basis. Details of new projects for which expressions of interest are sought will be placed on the web page along with a link to an expression of interest template form.
Expressions of interest received by the stated deadline will be considered in the process of drawing up a short list, usually of between 3 and 6 names depending on the nature of the project and the extent of expertise amongst potential contractors. Further information is not gathered from potential contractors for the process of drawing up a short list.
As the number of expressions of interest may exceed the number of contractors who will be invited to tender, an expression of interest should not be taken as a guarantee of inclusion in the list. The Department will not inform the contractors who are not invited to tender for a specific project.
4. Dissemination
Completed research is usually disseminated through the publication of a final report in the Scottish Executive Social Research series and a separate summary report of supporting 'Research Findings'. The following links list publications which have been issued to date and are available via the publications section of the SE website.
Housing and Area Regeneration -
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/CSU/00017534/housing-p.aspx
Equalities -
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/CSU/00017534/equalities-p.aspx
Social Inclusion -
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/CSU/00017534/SIVI-p.aspx
Voluntary Issues -
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/CSU/00017534/SIVI-p.aspx
Planning -
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/CSU/00017534/transport-p.aspx
5. Contact Points
Enquiries about the broad scope of the research programme, aspects of commissioning, contract conditions and publications should be addressed to:
John Tibbitt, Senior Principal Researcher, Scottish Executive Social Research Unit, 1-F Dockside, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. ( Tel: 0131-244 7561)
(Email: john.tibbitt@scotland.gsi.gov.uk)
Enquiries about Communities portfolio themes:
Housing provision, conditions and management, homelessness and supporting people, regeneration. Please contact:
Dr Rebekah Widdowfield, DD: ASD, 1-F, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
( Tel: 0131-244 7570)
(E-mail: rebekah.widdowfield@scotland.gsi.gov.uk)
Social inclusion, poverty and financial inclusion. Please contact:
Frauke Sinclair, DD: ASD, 1-F, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
( Tel: 0131-244 7568)
(E-mail: frauke.sinclair@scotland.gsi.gov.uk)
Voluntary sector and equalities. Please contact:
Catherine Bissett, DD: ASD, 1-F, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
( Tel: 0131 244 7371)
(E-mail: catherine.bissett@scotland.gsi.gov.uk)
Planning. Please contact:
Hamish Clark, DD: ASD, 2C (Dockside), Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
( Tel: 0131-244 7559)
(E-mail: hamish.clark@scotland.gsi.gov.uk)
Building standards. Please contact
Dr Linda Sheridan, Scottish Building Standards Agency, Denholm House, Livingston EH54 6GA ( Tel: 01506 600 447)
The Planning Bulletin, published annually is available from:
Planning Division, 2-H, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
Tel: 08457 741741 ( UK local rate)
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Planning-Building/Planning/15243/9609