Expert Panel

The Expert Panel on Local Governance was one of five panels by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) to provide ministers and officials in the UK with rapid access to cutting edge academic research and expert advice.

The expert panel on local governance brought together 18 specialists in the field from UK universities, consultancies and think tanks who were selected through a process of open competition.

The great advantage of the panel was that it was able to respond to policy makers' needs more flexibly and much faster than traditional research projects.

The panel was led by Professor Steve Martin from Cardiff University who was responsible for advising on the design of assignments, quality assurance of projects, administering payments to experts, and reviewing the operation of the panel to ensure that it provided the advice and support which policy makers require.

Completed studies

The panel completed ten studies:

• Strengthening local democracy consultation
• Peer review of statistics for evaluation of effectiveness of unitaries
• Understanding value for money in local authority led public services
• Local Authority Mutual Insurance
• Peer review of methodology paper on small business rate relief
• Peer review of methodology for evaluating Inspiring Communities
• Developing Evaluation Guidance for the Redress Review Trailblazers
• Developing an Index of Civic Health
• Local public services efficiency gains

Published reports are archived at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/?view=Gsearch+form&sites=nationa...

Panel members

The members of the expert panel were:

• Steve Martin, Cardiff University (lead panel member)
• Andrew Collinge, Local Government Information Unit
• Ben Page, Ipsos MORI
• Bobby Duffy, Ipsos MORI
• Chris Skelcher, Birmingham University
• Colin Rallings, Plymouth University
• Dan Graham, Imperial College
• Debbie Lee Chan, Ipsos MORI
• Edward Andersson, Involve
• Helen Sullivan, Birmingham University
• James Downe, Cardiff University
• Lawrence Pratchett, DeMontfort University
• Marian Barnes, Brighton University
• Neil Wilcox, LG Futures
• Peter Watt, Birmingham University
• Peter Wells, Sheffield University
• Rhys Andrews, Cardiff University
• Robin Hambleton, University of the West of England
• Salina Bates, CIPFA
• Tony Bovaird, Birmingham University
• Vivien Lowndes, DeMontfort University