The Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) is a knowledge brokering organisation. Its primary aim is to enhance processes of public policy making, public service design and provision, by promoting a culture and mindset of evidence use. It works with academics and experts to provide Welsh Government and public services in Wales with high quality research evidence and independent advice to inform policy decisions and improve outcomes.
A growing literature on knowledge brokering organisations has sought to evaluate the effectiveness of their practices, but much of this has been concerned with their ability to bring about substantive policy changes. There has been relatively little focus on the way in which these organisation impact on the policy process by affecting the way in which policymakers routinely understand their work.
Our mixed qualitative methods research will provide a critical, in-depth assessment of our approach to working with Welsh Government. Our aim is to generate insight on when, in what ways and under what conditions the WCPP, as one part of the wider policy advisory system in Wales, has informed policy making.
Our findings will inform how we work, and contribute to theory and methods on the relationship between governance, public policy and evidence.