About GO Lab
The Government Outcomes Lab is a research and policy centre based in the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. We were created as a partnership between the School and the UK Government and we are funded by a range of organisations. Our role is to investigate how governments partner with the private and social sectors to improve social outcomes.
The foundation of our work is high-quality research, and our team bring stellar academic credentials, as well as a desire to generate useful practical insights. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we aim to shed light on what might make various partnership approaches effective, and how they compare to one another, responding to the questions posed by those working in policy and practice. Our research covers a range of topics, including outcomes-based contracting, procurement and social value, public service partnerships and research tools.
We also work hard to get evidence into the hands of those who need it, through an expansive programme of engagement and capacity-building on both a national and international level. We host an online global knowledge hub and data collaborative, convene a range of events to disseminate insights, and facilitate peer learning groups to allow our wider community to share their experience with one another.
By blending rigorous research with practical engagement, we hope to bridge the divide that too often exists between those who generate knowledge and those who use it, and make a real difference to the outcomes that governments can achieve for the people they exist to serve.
The first five years
2021 marked the fifth anniversary of the Government Outcomes Lab. This report summarises our journey, challenges and triumphs, and provides an opportunity to reiterate our core principles.
What we do
The GO Lab generates actionable knowledge to inform, inspire, and improve practice. We offer a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to the study of cross-sector partnerships through the three main strands of our work – research, data and engagement. Our work focuses on understanding new models of collaboration for better social outcomes and how these can be employed more effectively.
Research
We conduct world-class research on the evidence and best practice around the use of outcomes-based partnerships
Explore research: Life Chances Fund | Resource Library | Outcomes-based contracting | Public service partnerships
Data
We manage the world’s most comprehensive, open access data set on innovative outcomes-based partnerships and a suite of related data tools
Explore Data: INDIGO | SyROCCo | Joined-up public services evidence navigator | Outcomes fund directory
Engagement
We host a Global Knowledge Hub on outcomes-based partnerships, and run a comprehensive programme of engagement & capacity building
Explore Engagement: Knowledge Hub | Toolkits | Engaging with Evidence | Peer Learning Groups | Social Outcomes Conference 2023
Our research
Our research covers a wide variety of topics under the broader theme of cross-sector partnerships to improve social outcomes.
Our impact
The GO Lab's role is to investigate how governments partner with the private and social sectors to improve social outcomes. Our research contributes to reports, policies, and evaluations for a variety of global stakeholders.
Our people
Our team is made up of academic researchers and practitioners with a range of public, private and voluntary sector experience. Meet the dynamic group of people that make up the GO Lab.
Career opportunities
Does your research interest align with our work at the GO Lab? We have exciting job opportunities to join our team. Don't miss out!
Contact us
Want to visit us or get in touch? You can find our contact details, address and transport information here.
About our partners & funders
Since its inception, the Government Outcomes Lab has been a partnership between the Blavatnik School of Government and the UK Government’s directorate in charge of civil society (formerly called the Office for Civil Society and part of the Cabinet Office; now known as the Civil Society and Youth Directorate and located in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport - DCMS).
In our international work, we have benefited greatly from partnerships with the UK’s foreign aid department (previously known as the Department for International Development, now known as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), and the UBS Optimus Foundation. We have received dedicated research funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) several times, including a £1.2m, four-year Future Leaders Fellowship for our Research Director, Dr Eleanor Carter. More recently, we entered into partnership with Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) to consolidate data and knowledge-sharing infrastructure on outcomes-based approaches, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.