Pathfinders

A number of initial academic activities or "pathfinders" are being taken forward. These will refine a range of formal and informal mechanisms for the ILG to operate effectively, increase our understanding of each partner's working environment and develop critical and effective working relationships. A number of areas have emerged that will tackle current significant regional issues and challenges and will

• bring practitioners and academics together to increase the impact of research, evaluation and knowledge transfer;
• present opportunities to foster cross-institutional working through academic communities of practice;
• practically test and help refine the ILG's constitution, partnership agreements, operating principles, commissioning and procurement arrangements.

Each of the universities in the partnership will take a leading role in taking forward a pathfinder. This will involve co-investigating with both practitioners and colleagues from across the other academic institutions. Initial pathfinders include:

Waste and Environment - researching the adverse impact that the recent global economic downturn has played on market values for various recyclable commodities, and on the validity of contracts in place.

Adult Social Care- detailed evaluation looking at provider development across a range of personalisation projects about to be piloted in the North East region.

Children's Services- an evaluation of the RIEP Children's Services Programme Board impact and two of its key projects.

Others in the pipeline include research, evaluation and knowledge transfer activity in relation to:

• Total Place
• Health- "Research to Reality"
• Construction and regeneration
• Apprenticeships