Research in the Department for Work and Pensions
Note: The Department has a research report series published by Corporate Document Services(CDS). This is the main medium for publishing the results of work in the research programme. There is also an in-house report , summary series, and methodological working papers.
Please email [E-Mail: Socialresearch@dwp.gsi.gov.uk] if you want to be placed on any of the mailing lists for the research programme, in-house reports or summary series.
- Strategy for Social Research
- How research is organised
- Developing the research programmes
- Dissemination
- Procurement
- Links with the Research Community
- Working Age research and analysis
The Department is a major commissioner of external Social Science Research. All the research which is carried out flows directly from the policy agenda; Social Science Research is a key element, alongside other analytical activities, in providing the evidence base needed to inform departmental strategy, policymaking and delivery. The overall analytical activity which feeds into policy is provided by:
- Administrative statistics provided by the Information Centre , in particular the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study
- Regular surveys, usually undertaken by the Office for National Statistics, including the Family Resources Survey and the Labour Force Survey
- Economic and statistical analysis, modelling and forecasting undertaken by in-house analysts
- Operational research focussed on business systems and operations;
- Economic and Social research projects that are commissioned from external organisations, and those undertaken by in house analysts.
The distinctive feature of this research is that it collects and interprets systematic data on the "outside world", for example on the knowledge, behaviour, views and perceptions of customers (actual and potential) and partner organisations. Social research is focused on specific issues, client / partner perspectives and policy problems and complements the administrative statistics and regular surveys that are undertaken. It also provides key data to the economic modelling that is undertaken.
Research combines in-house expertise with commissioned external research to meet departmental needs. Ministers and directors are agreed that both commissioned research and in-house research support can be divided into the following seven elements:
- Policy development research and briefing based on research to support the Department's strategy work - including both day-to-day enquiries, major in-house demands and development of new policies and the way they are delivered
- Monitoring and analysis of policy progress and also policy - relevant developments in the wider economy and society
- Strategic and cross-cutting research which underpins a variety of analytical uses across the department. For example, our Families and Children Longitudinal Study not only covers working age families with children but also saving, which will have implications for income in later life. English Longitudinal Study of Ageing will provide data on the implications of labour market history for health and financial circumstances in later life. DWP contributes to the long running British Social Attitudes Survey that monitors changes In societal views over time.
- Policy and Programme Evaluations For example the range of New Deals, Employment Zones, evaluation of changes to maternity rights provisions. European Social Fund Evaluation work is also partly funded from the research budget;
- Expert advice can be provided in-house by departmental staff or by national experts funded by the research budget.
- Reviews of evidence - These are important to synthesise evidence on particular topics. "Systematic" reviews (that use robust review methods) are an area of growing interest
- Good practice guidance - One useful product from some research projects is good practice guidance for staff in our businesses and for our partners (LAs).
From 2005/06 departmental research has been subdivided into three programmes,
Work, Welfare and Equality (WWEG), Pensions and, additionally, Cross-Cutting
research, to align better the relationship between research, the relevant
evidence bases and the policy and delivery strategy for the key areas of
the department's business and delivery targets. Jobcentre Plus also commissions
its own programme of research and the other delivery businesses commission
mainly customer satisfaction surveys.
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The sub-programmes that form the overarching strategic research programme
are:
- Work, Welfare and Equality Strategy covering: unemployed people; deprived areas and worklessness; disadvantaged groups; skills; lone parents, families and childcare; partners of benefit claimants and couple households; health and disability; disability rights; child poverty and financial support; minority ethnic groups; labour market issues and Jobcentre plus; extending working lives; contestability; European Social Fund Evaluation. (PSA 1, 2, 4 and 5)
- Pensions strategy including: increasing provision for retirement; improving saving through the workplace; extending working lives; facilitating informed choice; alleviating pensioner poverty (PSA 3)
- A Cross-DWP programme that covers cross-departmental surveys such as Families and Children Study run by the Department but with contributions from and collaboration with OGDs. The British Social Attitudes Survey, General Household Survey, and the Millennium cohort run externally but to which the Department contributes. (All PSAs)
Responsibility for developing these programmes, apart from strategic and cross-cutting research, rests with analysts in respective client directorates. There are mixed divisions of analysts, economists, statisticians/statistical officers, social researchers and policymakers in the Work, Welfare and Equality Group. Analysts in this group are headed by a Chief Economist. In the Pensions Group there is a discrete multi-disciplinary unit of analysts - economists, social researchers and statisticians similarly headed by an Economist. Additionally, in the central strategic analytical unit, (also headed by an economist) there is a Strategic Research Unit that deals with cross cutting and strategic research. The integration of research programme development in these divisions and units within policy directorates has provided more coherence between the various parts of the analytical enterprise and a closer alignment with policy strategy and delivery. The central research unit budget ensures that strategic, long term and cross cutting issues are addressed.
Developing the Research Programmes
Research programme development takes place, on an annual basis, between analytical and policy staff at Division and Directorate level as well as at Ministerial level. This is increasingly linked to the spending review cycle, but an annual process allows finer tuning to reflect the developing policy agenda, and the progress and results of previously agreed research projects. Research priorities are agreed between all stakeholders in the Department. This prioritisation takes account of a number of factors:
- an assessment of policy priorities;
- an assessment of evidence needed in the identified policy priority areas;
- the identification of gaps in the evidence base;
- identification of ways in which the evidence base can be strengthened (in house analysis of existing data; existing external research syntheses etc)
- the development of a research bid for resourcing that is designed to fill the evidence gaps.
In developing research bids, social research professionals will take account of the policy question to be answered as well as the current evidence available whether from Departmental or external sources. Current evidence and potential analysis of administrative databases will be examined before developing any bid for the Department's research programme.
In house, professional staff are expected to keep abreast of all external research whether published or, currently being conducted in respect of their specific areas of responsibility. In particular, effective liaison with other Government Departments is imperative. Where appropriate joint development or financing is arranged.
The complete research programme is published annually on the Department's website. Research projects are then commissioned externally to contractors on our Social and Economic Research Framework detailed below.
All research is published in the Department's research series and is available in both hard copy and on the website on a free download basis. A four page flyer is produced for each report to provide a quick synthesis of scope, content and conclusions.
The Department encourages its research contractors, internal analysts as well as Ministers to use the findings in public presentations and conferences and seminars. We also encourage publication in peer-reviewed literature so that academic work can receive appropriate RAE recognition
In respect of encouraging innovation beyond our publication and dissemination functions, we place, into the ESRC data archive, the data sets from our key surveys, the Family Resources Survey and the Families and Children Study. Any social science researcher can use these data subject to ESRC protocols.
Procurement
DWP Social and Economic Research Framework
The DWP Social and Economic Research (Procurement) Framework was established, on 1 July 2004, as a result of the need to streamline research procurement across the Department. It is one of a suite of frameworks that have been established as part of DWP's Commercial Strategy to provide for coherent and robust procurement to support the Department and its businesses. The Strategy sets the high level context for: DWP commercial activity; its links to DWP business objectives and values: alignment with Office of Government Commerce (OGC) strategy and policy, and to cross-Government activity on Efficiency Review, particularly the procurement strand. The Strategy also supports the NAO Recommendations to departments from the "Improving Procurement" report dated March 2004.
A large, two stage tendering process was undertaken during 2003 and early 2004. Following wide scale advertising, expressions of interest were received from around 400 organisations. A pre-qualification questionnaire was issued and using the information received around 200 organisations that were able to meet the minimum standard in terms of quality were invited to tender. Tenders were received from about half and, following evaluation, 62 organisations were selected for inclusion on the framework of which 25 are Small or Medium Enterprises. (SMEs)
We have established a 'Centre of Expertise' for research procurement to manage the framework on a professional, pro-active basis. This is headed by a procurement professional who is responsible for all research procurement. Only those in the four designated research procurement posts (4) have the authority to issue contracts and this ensures that effective procurement processes have been adhered to and that budget availability is appropriate. The new arrangements and the pro-active engagement with contractors, will enable the Department to achieve more effective links with its social research contractors and achieve efficiency savings through better quality research procurement processes.
The DWP Research Framework is managed by a small team within the Social Research Division. If you require more information or advice, please contact the Framework Manager:
Sue Sharp, DWP Research Framework Manager, IAD Social Research, Level 2, Kings Court, 80 Hanover Way, Sheffield, S3 7UF.
Tel.No. 0114 267 7279
Email: sue.sharp3@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Links with the research community
The Department strives to develop and maintain links with the research community, both at home and abroad. It regards these links as very important and aims to keep in touch with researchers working on pensions, disability and employment policies. It also maintains close links with other funding bodies, including the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation who are the other two main funders of social security research.
The Department is a member of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and is represented on the ISSA Research Committee. Through ISSA, the Department has links with researchers who have an interest in social security and related issues world wide. ISSA regularly publishes information about international social security research and the Department contributes details of its own research programme. DWP is also represented on the Governing Board of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
The Department has good working relations with the major independent research organisations and well established links with the academic research community. This close contact helps to ensure a high level of awareness of research in the area and enables the Department to identify gaps and to ensure that programmes complement rather than duplicate each other. DWP researchers are part of the Government Social Research network; they have strong links with research colleagues in other Government Departments and work closely where projects are of common interest. Where appropriate, research is jointly funded.
For a full description of the DWP Evidence, Research and Analysis Strategy, click here.
Working Age research and analysis
Please click here if you are interested in Working Age research and analysis.