Introduction to Government, Policy & Impact

Course description

The overall objective of this course is to explore different experiences of successfully engaging with policy makers, so that research evidence has a greater impact and influence. Delivered by past ADR UK Research Fellows – all of whom have prior experience of working as researchers or advisors within government departments – the course aims to be engaging, informative, interactive, and practical, with opportunities to share experiences from your research.

The course will cover the following themes:

• Understanding government, its current priorities, and the policy cycle.
• Opportunities to influence and the role of evidence in policy making.
• How to communicate research evidence effectively.
• Case studies: fellows’ experiences of engaging with policy makers through their ADR UK fellowships.

The course covers:

• Session 1: Understanding government, its current priorities, and the policy cycle
• Session 2: Opportunities to influence and the role of evidence in policy making
• Session 3: Case Studies

The short lectures will be accompanied by interactive exercises, case studies, and the opportunity for participants to ask questions and provide their reflections.

Who should attend?

This course is aimed at researchers who want their work to have greater policy impact and influence. It will be particularly valuable for:

• Researchers at any career stage (including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior academics) interested in engaging more effectively with policymakers
• ADR UK applicants, fellows, and alumni seeking to strengthen the policy engagement element of their research
• Researchers using administrative or government data who want to understand how evidence is used within government
• Policy-facing researchers and knowledge exchange professionals who support links between research and government
• Researchers new to working with government, or those who have tried to engage policymakers and want to learn what works in practice

The course is especially relevant for those with an interest in applied research, impact, and real‑world policy change, and for anyone keen to learn from the lived experiences of researchers who have successfully navigated government environments.

Skills area & competencies

• Relationship Management
  • Communicate in an effective manner for diverse audiences, including technical colleagues, subject matter experts and leadership.
  • Effectively manage the expectations of diverse stakeholders with conflicting priorities to mediate equitable solutions.
  • Use relevant communication techniques (written, oral or visual), appropriate for the audience.
  • Build appropriate and effective business relationships.
  • Show experience in human factors considerations with respect to data-driven solutions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course participants will gain an understanding of:

• The structure of the UK government and the policy making community
• How policy is made and the opportunities to influence policy making through evidence
• Strategies to communicate research evidence effectively

Transferrable skills

• Strategic & Policy Awareness
• Influencing & Stakeholder Engagement
• Communication Skills
• Analytical & Critical Thinking
• Knowledge Translation & Impact
• Collaborative & Reflective Skills
• Professional Development & Practice

Course schedule

About the tutors

Dr William Cook is a Reader in Policy Evaluation at Manchester Metropolitan University. Will holds a PhD in quantitative social science from the University of Manchester, a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manchester, and was a visiting research fellow at Harvard University in 2012. Prior to his academic career, Will worked for four years as an economic adviser to the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and the Home Office. He has also worked in the government and public sector practice at PwC and for GHK Consulting and has conducted a number of externally commissioned research projects in partnership with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) where he is an associate research fellow. Will was an ADR UK Research Fellow and used the National Pupil Database records linked to the Police National Computer to test for whether the Excellence in Cities programme (and associated initiatives) had any effect on the likelihood that people commit crime.

Prof. Tim McSweeney is the Dawes Chair of Public Protection at Anglia Ruskin University. He has over 20 years’ experience of undertaking research, evaluation and consultancy examining the processes and impacts of different criminal justice interventions in the UK, Europe, and Australia. Tim was an inaugural ADR UK Research Fellow and used linked records from the criminal courts and prison system to examine the extent, nature and outcomes of serious and ‘organised’ crime (SOC)-related appearances and cases heard before the Crown court in England and Wales. In addition to teaching and research posts in academia, Tim has worked in senior research roles with the Home Office (Counter-Extremism Unit) and Ministry of Justice (HM Inspectorate of Prisons). Tim was awarded a second ADR UK Research Fellowship which he started in September 2026.

Professor Morag Treanor, Professor of Social Policy and Inequality, University of Glasgow. Morag’s research focus is on poverty, socioeconomic inequalities, particularly where they pertain to children, young people and families. She uses longitudinal qualitative and quantitative methods, particularly birth cohort survey data and administrative data, to conduct her research.She is Co-Director of the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research, funded by UKRI, and leads on its Children’s Lives and Outcomes programme.Morag was Deputy Chair of the Scottish Government’s statutory Poverty and Inequality Commission from 2019 to 2023 and a member of The Promise Oversight Board from 2021 to 2024.Morag is the Research and Knowledge Exchange Director for the Division of Urban Studies and Social Policy.