The day that the rains came – surviving monsoons at Warwick

Report on Annual Research Conference 2006 by Duncan Scott and Jeremy Kendall

The 11th NCVO/VSSN annual research conference at Warwick University (13 – 14th September 2006) contained many notable features, not least two ‘Big Ideas’ plenary sessions from David Boyle (New Economics Foundation) and Geoff Mulgan (Young Foundation). But ‘events’ also intervened: a (meteorological) highlight was a lunch-time downpour, which temporarily left sheltering delegates stranded in different buildings across the campus. Only frantic last-minute changes to lunch arrangements and the final plenary session enabled the conference to maintain its tight schedule. That the NCVO-led (with VSSN assistance) administration was able to respond to these local manifestations of global warming is a testament to the excellent team work which accompanied all stages of the conference. 

130 delegates from 15 countries attended 24 paper sessions, as well as the two plenaries. David Boyle opened the conference with an iconoclastic firework display about ‘why life is too short for evidence-based policy’. Although he admitted in discussion that numbers and targets had a part to play in research, his essential message was that the key ingredients for policy research were ‘people, imagination, relationships and respect for the human aspects that metrics can’t measure’. It was a lively start, light years away from Research Assessment Exercises or routinized evaluations in the world of practice, and just the way to energise delegates.  

Over 60 papers, as well as two packed sessions for new researchers, formed the meat of the conference sandwich. Despite the usual mix of noisy campus construction work and over-heated rooms, good value seemed to be associated wit the formal papers, the conference stalls (including an eye-catching banner-led VSSN presence) and informal chatter in corridors and around meal tables.

After the deluge (of paper and rain) we had 60 minutes of Geoff Mulgan – founder of Demos, Downing Street adviser and Director of the Young Foundation. In a whirlwind 30 minutes, Geoff began by announcing the emergence of the Carnegie Commission on ‘The Future of Civil Society’ (see http://democracy.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/civil_society).

 Six or seven of the central themes were briefly sketched out - with all the artistry of an ice-skater:-

• Which parts of civil society are strong or weak?
• Anticipating the White Paper on local governance in October 2006, what future for democracy (see http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1503999)? 
• How to creatively respond to changing needs (asides about ‘psychic needs’)
• Identifying values and values, particularly in relation to non-commercial priorities
• Managing capital and assets within appropriate accountability frameworks
• Re-inventing neighbourhoods (again!)
• Belonging and identity

Then, some all-too-compressed sentences about research methods.

Delegates seemed initially stunned by the sheer breadth of vision, caught in the intellectual headlights to such as extent that discussion felt an anti-climax. But wide ranging questions followed from the floor, and were handled by the speaker. To finish, chair Duncan Scott made 2 points. First, we need to contribute with our big ideas, lest the think-tanks and their allies dominate. Secondly, that all the big ideas in the world might evaporate unless linked to the development of those very lay worlds which constitute the bed-rock of the voluntary and community sector – or as the Carnegie Commission would apparently now have it – ‘associational life’.

Another successful new voluntary sector researchers session took place as reported by Jo Machin here.

Further details can be found on the NCVO Web site page on the conference.