The Institute’s staff and research fellows work as a team to ensure our publications and events meet the highest standard. We have in-house expertise in research, editorial, design and production, events management, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and media handling. Our research and policy thinking is road tested with other experts and peer reviewed. Most of our activities are undertaken in association with project sponsors, who we seek to involve in our work.
We undertake a wide variety of projects, including research reports, consultancy, and expert policy seminars and roundtables. Our publications are made available to the audience at our launch events and circulated to the media and target groups. PDF versions are also sent to a wider audience and are made available on our website and promoted through social media.
[color-box]Research reports
The Institute publishes a wide range of research reports and briefings. These publications offer a perspective on an issue from leading experts and commentators in the field. The project can involve desk research, literature reviews, surveys, interviews and modelling. We often hold scoping roundtables and seminars at the start of the project and use our network of experts to oversee the work. The reports are then launched and discussed at high-level seminars and conferences. We publicise the report to the mainstream media and through social media, often with follow-up blogs and articles for the specialist press. We also disseminate reports directly to stakeholders and target audiences.[/color-box] [color-box]
Collections of essays
The Institute publishes several monographs of essays each year on a range of topics. These bespoke publications offer high quality insights from senior thinkers and doers on a particular subject, and usually include chapters from key players and the project sponsor. They are usually launched at high-level events in Parliament and sent to politicians, policy makers, practitioners and the media.[/color-box] [color-box]
Surveys and polling
The Institute undertakes in-house online surveys on different topics. For example, we have recently conducted surveys on urban transport, social housing and recruitment in the NHS, as well as opinion polls and focus groups of Local Enterprise Partnerships, council tenants and people at work. These surveys are either published as freestanding reports or feed into a bigger research project. On some projects we work in association with national polling companies. We have also facilitated in-depth inter-generational research work (‘cohort studies’) with the Institute of Education, Cambridge University and the Medical Research Council. [/color-box] [color-box]
Seminars
The Institute is known for its high-level seminars, which attract leading politicians, high profile professionals and key decision makers. The events are held in London and other cities. Most are held under Chatham House Rules, which allow for a free and frank discussion of the issues. For those unable to attend we can provide information about the events on our website. We also offer podcasts and broadcasts of our events. [/color-box] [color-box]
Party conferences
We are a major presence at all the major party conferences. On average we host around 20 fringe events, including policy roundtables and breakfasts. Most of our fringes are held in partnership with organisations and institutions which seek an independent platform for serious debate with politicians and conference delegates.[/color-box] [color-box]
Roundtables
The Institute regularly hosts roundtable event, often at our offices in Somerset House. These events, which usually form part of a larger project, seek to bring policy experts and politicians together to discuss an issue in some depth. A summary note of the discussion is taken and either published on the website or used to feed into a wider programme of work. [/color-box] [color-box]
Consultancy
The Institute offers bespoke consultancy and research. For example, we have provided policy advice to the developers of the London Olympic Village, housing associations, trade unions and local authorities. Our staff and fellows often chair and speak at conferences by national organisations such as the Local Government Association, Chartered Institute of Housing, and the LSE.[/color-box]
If you would like to know more or are interested in working with the Smith Institute, please get in touch with the Institute’s director, Paul Hackett at paul.hackett@smith-institute.org.uk or on 020 7845 5845.