On Friday, 22 March the Guardian’s Public Sector Network ran a live chat on plans for What Works Centres, which are being promoted by the government to improve evidence for decision-making in a number of policy fields, including Local Economic Growth. Derrick Johnstone was one of the panel members, along with Sam Markey from the …

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Derrick Johnstone facilitated a development day for the Essex OnLine Partnership (EOLP), which brings together the IT teams across the Essex local authorities, Police and Fire to reduce costs, improve information management and develop the quality of IT services. The Partnership has evolved significantly over the years and brought substantial value for its members through …

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The UK Commission for Employment and Skills has a priority to give employers greater responsibility and ownership in developing the skills needed for growth, most notably through the Employer Ownership of Skills pilot (EOS). This seeks innovative, collaborative, employer-led projects capable of transforming the delivery of training and making a significant economic impact.  Derrick Johnstone has been …

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How are local authorities and their partners using data and evidence to square the circle of dramatic reductions in resources set against rising population needs and expectations? The Alliance for Useful Evidence (A4UE) commissioned Educe to report on how local authorities and their partners are seeking to make more of a difference through better use …

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Following a procurement process we have been commissioned by the University of East Anglia (UEA) to evaluate the operations and impact of the Low Carbon Innovation Fund (LCIF), the regional venture capital fund in the East of England backed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It offers £30m of private and public monies, aimed …

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