Insight for Impact

This episode explores the UK Government’s latest update to the Green Book and what it means for appraisal practice. SQW experts discuss the shift away from benefit-cost ratios to a more 'balanced judgement' in assessing options, greater transparency on risk and uncertainty, the growing importance of place-based thinking, and the crucial role of appraisal capacity and culture in shaping better publ...

What should those involved in economic and social development be watching out for in 2026? In this podcast, experts from SQW consider what the next twelve months might hold for health and social care, employment and skills, local economic growth, and innovation and enterprise.

The New Towns Taskforce was asked by the UK Government to identify locations and delivery models for a new generation of New Towns to stimulate economic growth and address housing shortages in England. The Taskforce’s final report has recently been published.  What are the implications for economic strategy, appraisal and evaluation? This is the focus of our latest podcast episode, where we are de...

Mission or challenge oriented policies and interventions have become prominent in the past decade in innovation and other policy domains. What are the implications for evaluation, and what different tools and techniques might be needed to evaluate them effectively? This podcast explores this challenge, and reflects on wider trends in evaluation practice, drawing on SQW’s recent presentation at the...

How can Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations become more resilient, sustainable and build their capacity? This is the focus of SQW's latest podcast discussion, which focuses on learning emerging from SQW's evaluation of the Dormant Assets NI Phase 1 Grant Programme.  The programme provided grants of up to £100k each to 244 VCSE organisations across Northern Ireland. The...

What should those involved in economic and social development be watching out for in 2025? In this podcast, experts from SQW consider what the next twelve months might hold for health and social care, employment and skills, local economic growth, and innovation and enterprise.

This podcast, involving SQW in conversation with representatives of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Institute of Regulation, explores how regulators can tackle inequalities experienced by those using, or who need to use, services. The speakers reflect on key findings and implications from the rapid literature review that CQC asked SQW to conduct (wit...

The General Dental Council (GDC) is keen to understand and explore the experiences and perceptions of and attitudes towards the GDC of early career dental professionals. This podcast explores findings from SQW’s research study which focused on this topic. The findings have been captured to inform the GDC’s ongoing and future activity with (and for) early career dental professionals, to help meet i...

Engaging students from traditionally underrepresented groups in knowledge exchange is an important part of widening participation; ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds are able to exploit fully the opportunities afforded by higher education. This podcast explores the role of student-focused knowledge exchange, how it links to broader equality, diversity and inclusion agendas, and provide...

What are the key themes, policy agendas and factors that will shape economic and social development in 2024? In this podcast, experts from SQW consider what the next twelve months might hold for health and social care, employment and skills, innovation and enterprise, and local economic growth.

Venture capital (VC) plays a critical role in starting and scaling innovative companies, and the scale and growth of VC overall is a success story for the UK. However, diversity in VC investment is low, and there are underlying problems in the market that are specific or more acute for underserved founders including in terms of gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background. SQW recently worked i...

Work experience can help young people make decisions about their futures, ruling in (or out) possible routes after finishing school. However, accessing high quality work experience has tended to remain the preserve of pupils from more affluent backgrounds. In this episode, SQW Director and podcast host Joe Duggett is joined by his colleague, Associate Director Will Millard, and Dr Elnaz Kashef, He...

Effective use of data analytics within adult social care has the potential to revolutionise care services and experiences, but its use has been hampered by a lack of available high-quality data, alongside skills and capacity challenges within the sector. This podcast explores learning from our evaluation of the Health Foundation’s Strengthening Social Care Analytics (SSCA) programme, which focused...

What are the key policy developments, drivers or events that will shape economic and social development in 2023? And what are the key implications for people, places and businesses? SQW experts across a range of policy domains look ahead in this first episode of Insight for Impact for the new year. 

Research and innovation are recognised as crucial to economic growth, both nationally and increasingly, locally. However, there is a complex relationship between ‘research and innovation’ and ‘place’, which varies in different contexts. What are the lessons and opportunities for national and local policy responses?  And what is the link to the ‘levelling-up’ agenda? Joining SQW Director and podcas...

The new Shared Prosperity Fund aims to support the UK government’s commitment to levelling-up all parts of the country. What is distinctive about the Fund, and what the key opportunities, and the potential challenges for local places and partners as they look to develop their plans

The UK needs to build more new homes to meet the needs of a growing and ageing population, whilst minimising the environmental impacts of development. What are the opportunities and challenges in the delivery of sustainable new housing?

Innovation needs investment so that knowledge and ideas can be successfully identified, commercialised and exploited to support economic growth and address societal challenges. What is currently working well in the UK’s finance for innovation system, and how could it work better?

Personalised care is increasingly prominent in the UK’s health and social care landscape. What do we know about its benefits, and what are the issues that policy makers and service deliverers need to consider in designing and delivering personalised care approaches?

How can policy makers best support people into, or back into, sustained employment following a period of unemployment? This always matters, but is particularly important now given the uncertain prospects for the labour market as the UK economy looks to recover and rebuild following the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic.

An introduction to the new podcast from SQW