Chair's comment
SPEaR is now almost five years old. SPEaR’s chair, Professor Richard Bedford, reflects on the committee’s achievements.
Born in an unforgetable year, SPEaR has facilitated and led initiatives since 2001 that are designed to ensure the government’s social research knowledge and data needs are met. SPEaR continues to provide practical advice on how to improve systems and networks within the sector, most notably through some best practice guidelines. Although there is still have some work to do, the social sector is now enjoying increased recognition as a key player in providing both quality policy advice to Ministers, as well as being an active player in fostering the next generation of researchers, working in collaboration with BRCSS.
I am proud of SPEaR’s achievements to date. The Committee and Secretariat are involved in many projects that traverse complex research protocol and data access issues. SPEaR also continues to actively support researchers through the Linkages Programme. With rounds in May, August and November each year, Linkages provides funding that both builds knowledge for informing the development of social policy, as well as sponsors initiatives to improve research capability, including agency research practice. The total funds allocated to date ($969,620.50) over 10 rounds, shows the important contribution SPEaR is making to building capacity and capability across the sector.
The next phase of our website portal will soon be released, which aims to be a “one stop shop” communicating news and events related to social research and evaluation in New Zealand. Through the website it will be possible to upload information quickly and easily, get information about research funding and current job opportunities in the sector, and download SPEaR’s best practice guidelines to ensure quality research and evaluation criteria are met. The website will allow cross-agency and cross-disciplinary information sharing in a way that hasn’t been possible to date, and will provide researchers and evaluators with an opportunity to keep up to date with developments in the sector.
SPEaR’s work programme also includes mapping of social research and evaluation in the social sector in order to establish a coherent picture of current social policy research and evaluation activities, as well as lines of advice to key research funding agencies in the public sector. We will continue to develop our ability to provide government and the sector with best practice advice and to facilitate communication across the sector. I look forward to keeping you up to date with progress. We welcome feedback and constructive criticism on the work of SPEaR.
