New project to strengthen evidence-based policymaking in the region

Nobody should be surprised that “permacrisis” is this year’s choice for word of the year from the dictionary compilers at Collins. Of late good news seems to have been in short supply.

The news, therefore, that Research England has awarded £3.9m to establish a Yorkshire and Humber Policy and Research Network (Y-PERN) couldn’t be more timely. Y-Pern’s task is to coordinate and develop regional academic expertise from all of Yorkshire’s universities and place it at the service of policymakers in the region. There has never been a shortage of expertise, but there has not always been a regional standing organisation able to mediate between academia and the many levels of government.

In an initial three-year project Y-PERN aims to provide that most elusive of things, network knowledge infrastructure capacity. If successful, the project will create a resource base for continuity of relations – a vital component in institutional memory. Importantly the initiative has broad-based support from the Mayors of West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, numerous local councils, chairs of regional Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and university Vice Chancellors, including our Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Slee.

At first sight the provisional organisational structure of Y-PERN appears quite complicated, so I won’t dwell on this. Suffice it to say this is in order to ensure proper oversight and liaison between stakeholders, but at the core of the project are four sub-regional groups responsible for developing capacity.

A pivotal role is to be played by a Chief Policy Fellow and sub-regional Policy Fellows and an academic steering group representing the many universities. The sub-regions are West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, and Hull and East Yorkshire.

The original idea was first conceived in West Yorkshire and has grown from there. Many of the early committee members are economists with an interest in innovative multi-disciplinary systems approaches.

Leeds Beckett has played an active role from the beginning and I am Leeds Beckett’s steering committee member. Neil Barnett is set to be one of nine initial Policy Fellows. Head of Business Partnerships, Natalie Allen, will provide industry and partnerships liaison.

The consortium project is led by Yorkshire Universities and the initiative kicks off with an inaugural conference in January. As Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire Mayor, puts it: “West Yorkshire is home to some of the best universities and academics in the world. This exciting and unique project enables us to gain invaluable expertise and insight for our work, which helps us better understand the issues facing our communities. I look forward to seeing this initiative rolled out across the whole of Yorkshire.”

Impact has become a university byword, and claims all too easily run ahead of reality, but if this project realises its potential, then we will have created something of genuine value that we might look back on as the start of better times ahead.

For more information see the Yorkshire Universities press release.