Co-Developing Policies to Boost Local Communities

Yorkshire’s universities are combining their expertise to co-develop policies that boost local communities

Y-PERN

The Yorkshire Policy Engement Research Network (Y-PERN) puts academic experts around the table with local authorities, Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships.

This transformative, new way of working is designed to share knowledge and experiences, while delivering innovative policy ideas that will drive real benefits for communities and the places in which they live.

Y-PERN’s activities include:

  • Working with councils to explore and pilot structures to support Areas of Research Interest for the region.
  • Supporting policy innovation partnerships to empower community voices in local policy making with a focus on inclusive and sustainable growth.
  • Supporting the development of a portfolio of academic policy engagement training resources.

The origins of Y-PERN can be traced back to the Covid pandemic, when two academics from the University of Leeds, Professors Gary Dymski and Andrew Brown, advised the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) on a recovery strategy for the region.

With the support of Yorkshire Universities, a plan was devised to involve all the West Yorkshire universities in a new “place-based economic recovery network” – or PERN for short.

The idea was to link up academic personnel to provide verifiable and well-considered information about specific issues the council was facing.

In less than six weeks, workshops were underway. They provided rapid and accessible policy advice and possible next steps.

The success of PERN allowed the leadership to take it to the next level and the successful bid for £3.9 million for a three-year period from 2022-2025, from the Research England Development (RED) Fund.

 

YPIP: empowering marginalised communities

In February 2024, Yorkshire was named as the location for one of four Local Policy Innovation Partnerships, backed by a total of nearly £20 million from UKRI to address regional inequalities.

YPIP, which stands for Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Partnership, will build on the strong foundations already established via Y-PERN. It will support inclusive and sustainable jobs, businesses, culture and inclusive entrepreneurship with a focus on low-income, marginalised and isolated communities.

YPIP’s activities are being constructed around a core theme of ‘communities in their places’, which reflects the project’s commitment to ensuring that all regional voices are heard.

Research will be ‘with’ rather than ‘on’ people. At its heart will be the YPIP community panel – comprised of 12 members with diverse experiences of disadvantage, marginalisation or isolation. They will sit alongside key policymakers and researchers as equal partners and decision makers.

YPIP’s key aims include:

  • Data analytics: Building the Yorkshire Engagement Portal – a data hub for the region to provide up-to-date, legitimate evidence about the region’s economic, social and environmental status.
  • Inclusive growth: Using inclusive business practices to increase entrepreneurial opportunities in the region, with a special focus on creating an Inclusive Business Network and improving creative opportunities for young people in Bradford.
  • Sustainable living: Addressing key regional challenges in the move to net zero carbon, including retrofit guidance for the region’s high proportion of older buildings and close collaboration with the Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission.

Professor Dymski from Leeds University Business School is leading the project with Co-director Kersten England CBE, who is now heading up Bradford City of Culture 2025 after stepping down as Chief Executive of Bradford Council in 2023.

YPIP began with a first phase of community consultation, and thanks to collaborative efforts with the Leeds Social Sciences Institute, was the only English partnership to win funding from UKRI for a second phase.

Links

YPERN

YPIP