ESRC Practitioner Engagement: Summary Findings
Final findings from Work Package 3, qualitative research based on the experience of policy practitioners, as part of the wider ESRC-MHCLG research project 鈥淚mproving Public Funding Allocations to Reduce Geographical Inequalities鈥. The report centres on a series of policy recommendations for change based around three key barriers; 1) Quantum and Prioritisation, 2) Centralisation, and 3) Capacity and Local Leadership.
[There was an] an over-reliance on competitive bidding, fragmentation of funding streams, short term funding windows, unclear eligibility criteria, a politically-driven reliance on visible grant funding, a loss of good practice in private-public expertise, and an over-reliance on capital over revenue spending. We have heard that this [鈥淟evelling Up鈥 funding policy design] collectively represented a lot of unlearning of the best practice from the preceding forty-year period, from governments of all colours
Meet the Authors
Mike Emmerich
Mike leads Metro Dynamic's work on investment in cities and has built the practice advising major housing and regeneration projects and innovation district development, including two years of work with Cambridge Biomedical Campus. He also directed work with the Impact Investing Institute and Lloyds Banking Group to explore how mainstream financial institutions can participate in place-based impact investing and regeneration finance.
James Gilmour
James is an economic geographer who deploys robust analytical insights to advance devolution, infrastructure and housing policy.
Megan Russell
Megan joined Metro Dynamics in 2024 after earning her undergraduate degree in Politics and International Relations from Newcastle University. As part of her studies, Megan conducted in-depth research into UK food policy, methods of emergency food provision, and analysis of local impacts of policy across the Northeast.