Survey of research capacity in local authorities

Key findings

 Research settings

• The number of researchers within teams is generally small, which means researchers need to have a good breadth of research knowledge and skills.
• Those working in a local authority setting are most likely to be based in a cross authority research team; researchers therefore need to have a good understand of the focus and functions of local government.
• Although most organisations have specialist research staff, it may be beneficial for more research staff to develop skills in publishing open data.

Research training

• For those managing and commissioning research, courses in evaluating tenders (perhaps as part of a wider course in commissioning research) may be beneficial to further developing these skills.
• General research courses that could be run should include skills that respondents felt they did not adequately possess and were considered very or fairly important to their role. This would include courses in influencing and informing decision making, making use of online tools and techniques for visualising data and using Geographical Information Systems.
• Many research managers suggested that their team had skills that they could offer training for to other public sector organisations.
• Employers would be more likely to pay for one off training courses (for example, research seminars) than longer academic qualifications or releasing staff for secondments. Any future training courses should be tailored in this fashion, with the potential to include e-learning.
  
   

Read the full report below

Survey methodology

This online survey of those undertaking research was sent to all LARIA members in England in October 2011; an open link was also available to non LARIA members. The survey was completed by 286 respondents, 224 of whom were LARIA members and 62 non-members. In total 28 per cent of LARIA members responded.

Date: March 2013

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