Projects

This project will review and update course materials on vision and visioning for a senior leaders development programme on transformational change. IES will examine both the literature (on new thinking and approaches to visioning) and practical examples (where a change vision has transformed public services) over the last ten years.

Andrea Broughton from IES was commissioned by IRShare, Paris, to help coordinate two days of training for the Eurotunnel European Works Council in Folkestone. The aim of the training was to help Eurotunnel European works council members from the UK and France to understand more about how employment is regulated in each other’s countries, and to promote mutual understanding and joint working between representatives from the two countries. IES’ contribution consisted of giving a presentation on employment relations systems around Europe, chairing question and answer sessions and participating in a case study role play exercise. The training was conducted in English and French.

IES has been commissioned to update course materials on introducing and embedding a culture of innovation. The team will conduct a review of both the academic and ‘grey’ literature and design a conceptual model and accompanying exercises to help senior leader course participants apply their learning to create cultures of innovation back in their own organisations.

In 2017, IES was commissioned by the Office of Manpower Economics (OME) to carry out research into the use and effectiveness of market pay supplements and Recruitment and Retention Payments (RRPs) across the pay review bodies and the wider public sector. The research considered both the macro-, policy-level situation and the micro-, practice-level use of these supplements. It involved a literature review and policy stakeholder interviews, looking at the macro-level situation, whilst case study examples from the Armed Forces, NHS and local authorities made up with micro-level analysis.

In 2014, IES collaborated with Cranfield University School of Management, Aberdeen University, Ipsos Mori and Oxford Brookes University to conduct research on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the UK Armed Forces. The project aimed to understand the levels of awareness of the Reserve Forces in the potential volunteer population; what attracts or deters individuals to the Reserve Forces; and how Reservists can be nurtured and retained over time. This two-year research project involved stakeholder interviews, a review of literature from the UK and overseas, a large survey of almost 2,500 members of the general public, and in-depth interviews with Reservists and Reserves recruiters. Our work directed national- and strategic-level engagement efforts by the MoD and provided guidance on where immediate focus should be directed. The client has commented that our research has had direct relevance to its recruitment process - who it targets and how it goes about its marketing processes. It has been suggested that our research may feed into an action plan at a later date.

IES has been commissioned to carry out a review of a client’s pay and rewards structure. The research team will highlight the current system’s strengths and any issues, and consider potential changes and improvements.

IES supported the Ecorys UK project team in drafting a section on freedom of association and fundamental principle and rights at work for an ILO report on social dialogue. Using the ILO documents provided, IES drafted sections on what type of ILO interventions were observed, what worked and why, and about the case of Egypt. IES also edited and quality-assured the overall draft report.

The new technical routes (T-Levels) require young people to undertake three-month work placements. The Department for Education wished to understand how this can be successfully achieved and established a pilot with 21 providers to test around 14 models for the work placements; 15 providers received support through The Challenge Network, and six did not. IES, in partnership with iCEGS at the University of Derby, was commissioned to lead a process evaluation of the pilots to assess the effectiveness of different work placement and support models and to provide evidence on implementation highlighting lessons for full, national roll-out.

IES is supporting the Renaisi’s internal evaluation of their refugee employment programme, RISE. IES will help validate Renaisi’s internal findings, create a baseline and benchmark from which to measure project impact, create some online content to report on their work and contribute to joint learning events.

The study explores the characteristics, regulatory frameworks, incidence and implications of casual work in 10 European Union Member States. Its specific aims are to explore: which forms of casual work that are regulated by legislation or collective agreements exist and how they are regulated what drives employers and employees to opt for casual work how prevalent/widespread casual work is what the characteristics of employers and employees engaged in casual work are what the implications of casual work on working conditions and the labour market are.