This is our monthly policy briefing for December 2020. Each week we gather all the news, commentary and events from across the sector, then tie it all together each month. If you would like to get this in your inbox each week you can sign up to Tiny Letter.
Opinion GO Lab's Challenges for the future: Building back better in 2021 Nigel Ball looks forward to the GO Lab's role in the effort to 'build back better' from Covid-19 in 2021, and what it will mean for our work. He highlights work to learn from the responses to Covid-19, contributions to big questions around responsible business, impact measurement and citizen engagement, in addition to a continued focus on helping practitioners and policymakers access information relevant to their day-to-day work. GO Lab
Opinion Too low for Zero - the Elton John AIDS Foundation SIB Sam Magne, Knowledge and Learning Manager at The National Lottery Community Fund, reflects on Ecorys/ATQ’s first in-depth report on the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Zero HIV SIB. She examines some of the unique features of the SIB, including its system-change ambition around HIV testing and the unique role of the Foundation as investor and outcome payer, and considers what lessons the SIB may hold for other projects. GO Lab
Opinion Why academia and policy need to work better together Tanyah Hameed, Research and Policy Associate at the GO Lab, examines how academia and policymakers can work with one another more effectively. She highlights some of the differences between the fields that can pose challenges to such collaboration - time horizons, customary tones of communication, and culture and professional norms - as well as the benefits and limitations of scientific advice. In order to maximise the benefits, Tanyah highlights some key ingredients for effective partnerships, including strong relationships and trust, understanding of differences, and shared objectives. Apolitical
Opinion Governing in Partnership Kathleen Kelly Janus, senior advisor on social innovation to the Governor of California, highlights some of the key takeaways from two years of large scale cross-sector collaborations in the state. She suggests that partnerships offer broader impact, produce innovative solutions, accelerate social change and have a multiplier effect, demonstrating models that can be applied elsewhere. In addition, Janus highlights six key lessons for how best to encourage such partnerships. SSIR
Opinion All hands on deck: Public-private partnerships during COVID-19 This report examines the role of public-private partnerships in the UK during the pandemic, noting that while some (such as rapid vaccine development and approval) have been effective, other efforts (including the procurement of PPE and contact tracing) have faced significant challenges and criticism. It highlights three overarching lessons for government from this experience: 1. Planning for procurement in crisis lays the foundations for an effective response. 2. All resources must be leveraged, not just those closest to hand. 3. Transparent decision-making is especially important when urgent procurement is required. Reform
Opinion International Lessons on Building Resilient, Cross-Sector Partnerships This article considers some lessons that may help to establish cross-sector collaborations that can weather challenges and take action to address complex problems. It highlights three key principles for building resilient cross-sector partnerships - a shared understanding of goals, open acknowledgement of differing incentives, and models of collective organisation that reduce hierarchy - before outlining more concrete steps for developing partnerships that possess these features. SSIR
News Mental Health and Employment Partnership helps support 1,000 people into paid employment Mental Health and Employment Partnership (MHEP) was set up in the UK in 2015 as the world's first SIB aimed at helping people with mental health problems into paid employment. MHEP services have now supported over 1000 service users into paid employment, including over 100 people during the challenging employment environment of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social Finance
Opinion A new fund for better social, environmental and infrastructure outcomes This blog discusses the World Bank's new Outcomes Fund, which seeks to address some of the barriers to outcomes-based financing. Housed within the Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches, the fund will focus on a wide range of sectors including climate, urban upgrading and the provision of basic services, education, and employment. It is hoped the Outcomes Fund will help to build the capacity of local markets to use outcome-based financing, and ultimately contribute to the Bank's broader agenda of supporting the sustainable growth of developing countries. World Bank
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