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Building the Big Society (CASEreport 67)

Report that brings together a range of evidence about civic engagement and community control. Starting from an overview of some of the emerging coalition policy around the 'Big Society' and localism, it proceeds to consider these current directions in the light of the long history and diverse history of “Big Society” type approaches, then outlines some of the opportunities and challenges communities face in taking up these opportunities.

The report has a specific focus on the challenges for more disadvantaged communities in engaging with the Big Society.

The Social Fund: a review of selected literature

Review with the objective to examine what the Social Fund currently consists of and explore how it operates; and consider whether the Fund could be made more responsive to Scottish Government priorities and look at the possible consequences of devolving responsibility for it.

The review was completed in May 2010 and presents evidence relating to the Social Fund and discusses the Scottish and UK Government policy context which was operational at the time of writing. There have been significant developments in UK Government policy since then which are not covered in this report.

Parenting matters: early years and social mobility

Paper that argues strongly that the government is correct to take the bold step of embracing the firm evidence on child development in seeking to create a strategy that "sets out plans to support a culture where the key aspects of good parenting are widely understood and where all parents can benefit from advice and support...what is needed is a much wider culture change towards recognising the importance of parenting, and how society can support mothers and fathers to give their children the best start in life".

The civic pulse: measuring active citizenship in a cold climate

Pamphlet that explains why it is important for policymakers to have a better understanding of the capacity for active citizenship in their local areas. It also sets out a preliminary method for measuring the presence or absence of key mechanisms and social assets driving participation.

It puts forward an argument for a new approach to understanding and measuring active citizenship and is designed with the political and policy context in mind.

A review of the cost-effectiveness of individual level behaviour change interventions

Report, commissioned by the Health and Well-Being Alliance, which considers the economic case for implementing behaviour change interventions across the North West to tackle issues such as alcohol consumption at increasing and higher risk levels, smoking, obesity and increasing physical activity levels both in and out of the workplace.

It focuses on the delivery of education or communication based interventions.

Scotland's skills utilisation programme: an interim evaluation: SKOPE research paper No. 101

Paper that reports on the findings from a mid-term evaluation of the Scottish Funding Council’s programme of ‘action research’ projects, which are aimed at exploring the potential contribution of universities and colleges to improved skills utilisation in the workplace.

The evaluation finds some initial empirical evidence for establishing proof of concept, but also identifies challenges in relation to capacity building and sustainability. The potential exists, it is argued, for the programme to contribute to a broader approach to skills and innovation policy in Scotland.