Third Sector Research Centre A paper by Razia Shariff, Head, Knowledge Exchange Team Third Sector Research Centre

1. ALISS Conference
3rd August 2010
Research into Reality:
Knowledge Exchange with the third sector
Razia Shariff, Head, Knowledge Exchange Team
THIRD SECTOR RESEARCH CENTRE

2. Outline
Overview of TSRC
Knowledge Exchange model at TSRC
KET role
Knowledge Exchange Impact Matrix
Virtual World
Collaboration with British Library on new data source

3. Third Sector Research Centre
University of Birmingham
Centre, Pete Alcock, Director
University of Southampton
John Mohan, Deputy Director
Funded for 5 years from 2008 by the Office of Civil
Society, ESRC and Barrow Cadbury Trust

4. Research Programmes
Evidence base
Theoretical and policy context
Mapping and measuring
Impact

5. Evidence Base
Early priority
 Existing research
 Databases
 International and comparative sources
 Social enterprise cross cutting stream

6. Theory and Policy
Theoretical and conceptual analysis
 Third Sector?
 Civil Society
 Social enterprise?
Policy context
 Policy agenda
 Practice impact

7. Mapping and Measuring
Quantitative database (Southampton)
 Guidestar
 ONS
Qualitative database (Birmingham)
 In depth sample (Real Times)
Longitudinal analysis

8. Impact
Service delivery
 Economic and social ‘value’
 Procurement and commissioning
 Organisational experience
Engagement
 ‘Below the radar’
 Community empowerment

9. Social Enterprise Stream
Definition and delineation
Measuring social enterprises
Social enterprise and service delivery
Social enterprise and community cohesion

11. Long Term Goals
Robust databases for the sector
Longitudinal analysis of trends
Analysis of impact and engagement
Enhanced capacity for research
Sustainability – A permanent UK research centre

12. Creating Impact
Aim: to make a difference in policy, practice & academia
• Academic Knowledge developed
• Practitioner Community able to access & use research
knowledge to enhance their work
• Economic and social impact of sector evidenced and
strengthened
• Policy, funding and decision making informed through an
accessible evidence base

13. 7. Identify
1. Review of
new areas of
Literature
research
Third Sector
Stakeholders
Non
Academic academic
Researchers researchers
Advisory Board 2. Identify
6. Promote
Research
and publicise
Streams
Media and Local and
Publicists
TSRC national
policy
makers
Reference Groups
Funders &
Commissioners Practitioners
Decision makers and policy 3. Establish
5. Knowledge
implementers engagement
exchange &
mechanisms
feedback
4. Ensure
ongoing
participation

14. KET Role
• Two member team started in May 2009 based in
London and linked to NCVO Research Team
• Developing Knowledge Exchange Communications
and Impact Strategy and implement
• Creating publications and website
• Attending Conferences and events
• Exploring joint stakeholder seminars and workshops
with other key partners and ESRC Research Centres

15. THE ROLE OF THE KNOWLEDGE BROKER
“Move knowledge and ideas from a knowledge
source to potential users” UK Research Council
“ Exchange, synthesis and ethically sound
application of knowledge, within a complex system
of interactions among researchers and users”
Canadian Institute of Health Research 2000
Producer push, User pull or exchange
Facilitating information management, linkage and
exchange agent or capacity building

16. Communication Strategy
To bridge gaps and build understanding between research,
decision making, policy making and practice
To ensure that the experience and knowledge of policy and
decision makers, practitioners and funders informs our
research
To make knowledge available in meaningful and accessible
ways
so that it can be used by policy and decision makers,
practitioners and funders
To ensure we reach those isolated from existing research

17. Tools & Methods
• Website and links to other websites
• Publicity Materials and ebullitions
• Published materials
• Building contacts and expanding reach
• Media and press work
• Events and workshops
• Monitoring, evaluation and refine approach to ensure cover
the diversity and depth of the sector

18. Publications and presentations
34 Working Papers and Briefing Papers
500 copies of each of the first 15 papers disseminated
75 Research presentations to nearly 5000 stakeholders
13 stands at national events with 300 – 600 delegates
35 targeted events attended as participants
8 targeted meeting and seminar stands

19. Co-hosting events based on
Capacity Building Facilitating workshops research streams in
Clusters (CBC) on research areas partnership with partner
organisations Website,
discussion
Policy Impact events on board, blogs
symposium research papers etc
Research
with media, Articles in presentations at
policy and Academic events
practice Advisory Board and Journals
Reference Groups
More
Fewer stakeholders
stakeholders impacted
impacted
News articles in specialist
Attending and general media
TV/Radio
targeted events
interview
Stands at VCS
Stands at meetings and Conferences
seminars
Media
advertising
Sharing information on Inserts/publicit
sector debates and y in delegate
reports packs
Dissemination of
research knowledge

21. Virtual World
Website hits within 6 months – 1000 a month,
9 months, now upto 2666 a month
Bi monthly e-newsletter to 900 recipients led to 235 visits in one
day compared to 80 a day on average
Examples of impact: Tescoisation press release
Press Release articles – 9 online media articles
Hits on website increased in relevant page from 10 to 50 a day
Online article in Third Sector magazine – 115,000 subscribers
Mention in popular sector Blog approximately 500 followers
Tweets by 8 people reaching 4,182 followers
(Note follows subscribe to blogs and tweets)

22. British Library new data source proposal
TSRC unique opportunity to collate as part of evidence reviews
and research process a large volume of published materials on the
third sector
There is a mass of material, published and unpublished, on the
third sector which is not known about, easily obtained, or listed
separately in one place, and part of TSRC’s project is to compile
an on-line catalogue of such resources.
In the first year have 1,200 references on our database, but don’t
have the resources or expertise to catalogue and offer them as a
searchable data source portal on the web
British Library has the expertise and is interested in developing its
online resources for the social science community and third sector

23. Aim to have a single search interface for research on the third
sector, where research can be added and reviewed for inclusion
In discussions with the Big Lottery to support the start up costs of
a Librarian and Project Manager
This catalogue will be freely available to all those interested, or
working in the sector and will include items freely accessible via
TSRC’s own database of publications, the Internet, or obtainable
by making a payment.
The catalogue will be maintained and updated by TSRC until the
project comes to an end in 2013, or later if further funding is
forthcoming, at which point British Library will take on the
responsibility.
The online resource may be expanded in partnership with NCVO
to offer a platform for statistical data on the sector to be analysed

24. Contact Details
Razia Shariff
Head, Knowledge Exchange Team
THIRD SECTOR RESEARCH CENTRE
Tel: 0207520 2459
E-mail: knowledge@tsrc.ac.uk
Web: www.tsrc.ac.uk