Claire Smithson & Paul Hayes
A key challenge for academic policy engagement lies in how to effectively prioritise and coordinate the demand and supply of research and expertise. Currently much of the work being done in this area tends to be either bespoke or through existing relationships, which can create inconsistencies across organisations, their departments and universities.
Whilst the UK government has taken steps to address these gaps through the creation of calls for evidence or “Areas of Research Interest” (ARIs), which have been adopted by some local levels, such as the local ARIs established by the University of Leeds and Leeds City Council, there is still little in the way of formal mechanisms for academic policy engagement at the Local or Combined Authority levels in England.
Local and Combined Authority officers often grapple with competing priorities, limited resources, and time constraints, all while striving to meet their overarching strategic goals. These goals frequently align across authorities due to shared civic responsibilities and the common place-based challenges they face. However, engagement routes between researchers and councils can often be unclear. Researchers, nonetheless, have significant opportunities to support councils’ policy and decision-making processes. This support can take various forms, including research collaborations, participation in expert groups, contributions to policy forums or scrutiny boards, the sharing of relevant research, and undertaking placements or secondments. By harnessing these engagement pathways, researchers can bridge the gap between academic insights and practical policymaking.
As part of Y-PERN’s ongoing efforts to engage with Local and Combined Authorities across Yorkshire and Humber, we conducted a mapping exercise to identify priorities from key strategic documents of all Combined and Local Authorities, such as the West Yorkshire Plan (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) or Barnsley 2030 (Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council). The findings from this exercise have helped provide a clear strategic focus for Y-PERN and other research networks, streamlining the process and connecting networks together that can directly provide support and evidence that is both relevant and impactful.
This project has also been welcomed by combined and local authority partners, supporting them in identifying priorities and challenges across the region, and will act as a catalyst for cross authority idea sharing and collaboration, including the planned establishment of a joint local government academic policy network for the region. The mapping exercise clearly demonstrated that the core objectives of Local and Combined Authorities align closely with their peers, with key themes consistently reflected across the region. However, subtle differences in their priorities and approaches highlight the unique roles each authority plays within the broader governance structure, as well as some differing local and subregional challenges and priorities, including political priorities.
Economic growth is a primary focus for both Local and Combined authorities, with a shared ambition to foster more inclusive economies. Local authorities tend to be more rooted in community engagement and development, tailoring their strategies to the specific needs of their local areas. Combined authorities, on the other hand, adopt a more strategic, sub region-wide perspective, often aligning their efforts with sub-regional economic ambitions. This reflects the wider service delivery and place responsibilities of local councils, as opposed to the more overview and investment role of combined authorities, as well as the public transport responsibilities of CA’s
In addition to this, environmental sustainability has emerged as a critical priority for all authorities. Local authorities again, often take a community-level and hyper-local approach, emphasising mitigation efforts like reducing local emissions, increasing resilience to climate change, and adapting infrastructure to meet sustainability targets. In contrast, combined authorities are typically utilising environmental challenges as an opportunity to drive economic growth, with a focus on green infrastructure investment and creating new jobs in emerging sectors such as renewable energy and sustainable technologies.
Transport is another sector where distinctions between the authorities become apparent. Combined authorities, with their devolved powers and larger geographic remit, are positioned to lead on significant transport infrastructure projects designed to enhance regional connectivity, addressing issues such as inter-city links and improving public transport networks across wide areas.
By comparison, local authorities concentrate on more immediate and localised transport needs, such as highways maintenance and the promotion of local modal shift, ensuring that their transport solutions meet the day-to-day requirements of their residents.
Social care and children’s services remain fundamental responsibilities for local authorities, these services are central to local authorities’ civic duties as well as making up the majority of their day-to-day spending), shaping their research and policy development. Combined authorities are less involved in these areas, as their focus is more aligned with overarching economic and infrastructure initiatives.
Finally, both local and combined authorities recognise the importance of ‘place’ in shaping their strategic priorities, but the interpretation of this concept differs. Local authorities focus on creating place-based initiatives that reflect the unique needs and characteristics of their communities. This may involve community regeneration, improving local services, or enhancing public spaces. Combined authorities, however, are more likely to concentrate on regional development, viewing ‘place’ through the lens of economic connectivity and cohesion, working to strengthen ties between localities to ensure the entire region benefits from growth and development.
This mapping exercise provides a start to addressing gaps in academic policy engagement infrastructure, providing insights into the shared priorities of local and combined authorities across the Yorkshire and Humber regions. By emphasising key focus areas such as economic growth, inclusive economies, environmental sustainability, and transport, strategic research and policy efforts can be better aligned with regional needs. The exercise will play a key role in developing groundbreaking work led by Y-PERN and colleagues across partner universities who are working in collaboration with local and combined authorities to create an integrated local and regional Areas of Research Interest framework across the whole of the region.
When engaging with the overarching priorities of local and combined authorities, it is essential for academics to thoroughly review and understand these priorities while adopting the councils’ own language to ensure alignment with regional objectives. Establishing strong, reciprocal relationships based on shared understanding and the co-creation of projects that reflect mutual interests can pave the way for meaningful and sustained academic-policy collaborations.
Claire Smithson is Policy Engagement Officer, at Policy Leeds. Drawing on her experience across both academia and the policy charity sector, Claire brings a nuanced understanding of the intersection between research and public policy to ensure that academic research informs and shape policy development at a local, regional and national level.
Paul Hayes is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Leeds University Business School. Paul was previously a Policy Manager at Wakefield Council. He has worked extensively with government, think tanks and academics around issues relating to regional and local government, public services, and local economies and economic inclusion.
