The Greater Manchester Policy Hub and academics at The University of Manchester have supported the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Manchester City Council (MCC) with the development of an Areas of Research Interest (ARI) pilot for the city region.
Joint workshops with academic and policy experts, and subsequent consultation within the GMCA and MCC, has led to the development of 13 ARIs which will support with the delivery of long-term strategic goals.
The ARIs have been modelled on elements of the Greater Manchester Strategy and the Our Manchester Strategy and focus on two priorities: good growth and prevention.
The pilot aims to:
Inform policymaking and test the ARI model at local government level;
Build stronger partnerships between policymakers and academic experts;
Support effective processes for identifying and prioritising research questions;
Broaden the range of voices shaping GM policy, supporting the region’s commitment to equality and inclusion.
Launched in early June via the GM Consult website, the pilot will run for six months and academics are strongly encouraged to respond. It will help policymakers to access expertise and evidence, with ARIs operating successfully in various branches of government for almost a decade.
John Wrathmell, Group Director of Strategy at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority said: “Greater Manchester has been the UK’s fastest-growing sub-regional economy in recent years, and we’re proud of that progress. At the same time, we recognise that too many people across our communities are still experiencing high levels of deprivation.
“The Areas of Research Interest, developed in partnership with Manchester City Council and supported by The University of Manchester, will help us build a stronger evidence base to understand what sits behind this and, crucially, how we can ensure economic growth translates into a better quality of life for everyone.
“With delivery plans already in place at both Greater Manchester and city level, the ARIs will help focus our research and insights, supporting our long-term ambitions set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy.”
