Design|Policy Research Network

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Design practices and methods, and professional designers, are increasingly visible in public policy processes in national, regional and local government as well as in broader policy ecosystems in particular public service design. The outcomes, consequences and implications of this development are as yet little discussed. In design research, and in political science, recent research has attempted to bridge this divide with nascent research communities in the form of special interest groups and conference panels. This 18-month network brings together these two academic constituencies in a systematic way to identify the tensions and resistances between the two domains, identify potential where capacities of design can be more effectively leveraged, and map out an agenda for future research and knowledge exchange. The network complements other initiatives in academia and practice by critically examining the concepts and methodologies at the intersection of design and political science, as well as identifying untapped potential for using design in public policy. By building capacity across and within these research communities, alongside practice, new understandings as well as new projects can be developed. This is relevant and timely as social and public policy issues require new forms of public administration practice, changes to institution design, ways of engaging with publics and forms of democratic debate. Over 31 people including established researchers, ECRs and PhD students, as well as practitioners working in government departments, think tanks, consultancies and civil society organisations, have expressed interest in being part of the network. Organised through 4 interactive workshops (two in London at UAL, two at Manchester, both blended to allow face to face and online participation), the network will also exist through threaded online discussion on digital platform Slack. Through invited provocations at three workshops with leading researchers and practitioners (with video and transcripts made available on a blog), alongside creative, participatory activities, the network will consolidate and articulate a shared understanding of the potential, consequences and implications for design in public policy processes, informed by research in several fields (design research, the humanities, political science and policy studies). A fourth workshop will allow the network to synthesise understanding of key debates and also to sketch out designs for future collaborative research projects. These insights will form the basis of a public report co-authored by the PI, CI and Steering Group and materials for a public blog to disseminate findings to academics and practitioners. Finally through two events, one aimed at the UK Civil Service co-organised with Policy Lab and Department of Work and Pensions, and one public event, co-organised with the Policy Institute at King's, key findings and directions for future research and knowledge exchange will be disseminated. The network organisers anticipate that members, including the steering group, will build on the outcomes to collaboratively craft new, cross-disciplinary research projects (e.g. for UKRI or Horizon Europe), as well as continuing dialogue through scholarly communities, as well as via fora such as Slack.