cadence comments about policy

27 Jan 2012

Lets get physical ...

Cadence are getting physical this year. In addition to our policy and research services we will be running a physical space that hosts businesses and events in our HQ city - Sheffield. It is an exciting development for us, which we see as a natural next step for a business that has always emphasised the part of place in policy ... more

18 Oct 2011

Daring Danny Dorling

A great profile of Professor Danny Dorling by Martin Wainwright in the Guardian today. 30 books by the age of 43 is very impressive! Whenever we have collaborated with Danny it has always made the project more interesting ... more

10 Oct 2011

All in it together?

I do not think the 'all in it together' phrase was used much at the Conservative conference last week. The response that lots of our clients have is 'yes, and some of us more than other' ... more

28 Sep 2011

What we do ... (and why)

We are often asked 'what is it that you do'? An answer along the lines of public policy research and strategy projects can cause a number of reactions. Sometimes it results in a glazed look and no further questions or more often than not the question 'what is that you do'? is repeated. The best way of answering is often to talk about real projects we are involved in and usually one of the areas we mention will interest our inquisitor. Dealing with cuts, commissioning, museums (yes museums), homelessness ... more

22 Jun 2010

Centre for Welfare Reform

Sheffield may have had a bad few days, with the 100 million of cuts announced last week still being digested. That is not to say that it is all doom and gloom, with it seeming to be a place where a lot of interesting thinking is going on at the moment ... more

5 Nov 2009

Innovation Charter ?

A joint ippr/RSA event 'After the downturn' took place in Newcastle this week at the The Pukka Pie Arena or whatever St James' Park is called this week. Speakers John Tomaney, Deborah Jenkins, Sir George Russell all had interesting things to say, but it was Matthew Taylor of the RSA who shook things up. He descirbed the final report of the Commission on public sector reform 'a decent bit of work', but that it had a 'if only feel to it' ... more

2 Nov 2009

Public service paradox

ippr north has published the final report of the Commission on public sector reform in the North East. It is called Public service paradox ... more

30 Sep 2009

It'll look alright when it is washed

There is a barber in Liverpool with a sign above his shop that says 'it'll look alright when it is washed'. How will local authorities look in a few years after their cuts? How are local authorities preparing for cuts in their budgets? How should they prepare and is there a smart way to make cuts? Should departments be selling themselves and making sure everyone knows what great work they are doing ... more

23 Sep 2009

Ken Dodd and President Sarkozy

I hope that 'When you go to measuring my success that you don't count my money count my happiness'. Not President Sarkozy, Joseph Stiglitz or Richard Layard, but Knotty Ash's Ken Dodd who appears to have suggested in 1964 that measuring GDP alone was not the answer ... more

8 Sep 2009

Innovation and half empty-full glasses

There seem to be two main public policy approaches emerging to deal with the recession and impending public spending cuts. One is optimistic, the other less so, or as someone once said to me 'less glass half full, more glass smashed on the floor and shards stuck in foot' ... more