A Guide to Commissioning Cultural Sector Research in the South West of England

INTRODUCTION
By Richard Crowe
Edited by Jules Channer

What is this guide about?

The aim of the guide is to de-mystify the process involved in commissioning research from research suppliers (including freelancers, agencies and academic institutions) and maximise the chances of achieving a positive result. As the demand for cultural sector research has expanded rapidly in recent years (partly a result of the increasing expectation that policies should be evidence-based) we now find that cultural sector research is being commissioned by a range of commissioning bodies such as the regional cultural agencies, local authorities, and voluntary and community organisations.

This guide has been commissioned by Culture South West, the regional cultural consortium, on behalf of the South West Cultural Sector Research Group which champions good practice in regional cultural sector research.

Who is this guide for?

The target readership for the guide is those working in the cultural sector in the South West who would like to commission a research project but have not done so to date. As a guide to good practice, it will also appeal to those already commissioning research in the sector, particularly those who may have had a negative experience of the process.

Why should I use this guide?

The way in which research is commissioned is important because it affects the quality and nature of the work produced. The Social Research Association (2002) states that "[t]he object of commissioning procedures should be to produce high quality, useful and cost-effective research by fair and accountable means, and to optimise the balance between these five factors."

This guide has been designed as a web-based resource to give a simple, step-by-step introduction to the process of commissioning research. All the tips and all the quotations cited here have been gathered through interviews with a total of twenty experienced commissioners and researchers/consultants working across both the sector and the region.

How do I use the guide?

To make this guide as accessible as possible the commissioning process has been broken down, step-by-step, into a series of questions and bulleted top tips for addressing them. This information is complemented by quotations from both researchers and research commissioners which demonstrate both good and not so good practice, and with health warnings along the way to alert you to potential pitfalls. There are also direct links to useful websites and hyperlinks to a glossary of definitions of terms, concepts and organisations cited.

You can go directly to the area of the process which interests or concerns you most by simply clicking on the relevant link below:

Section 1:	Getting It Right Up Front: The Big Questions

	Step One: Step Two: Step Three: Step Four: Step Five:	What do I need to know? Are the answers already available? Do I have the resources available to do the work? Can I do the work in partnership with others? How am I going to manage the project most effectively?

Section 2:	Finding The Right Person To Do The Job

	Step Six: Step Seven: Step Eight: Step Nine:	What is in a brief? Where do I look for researchers who can do the work? What tendering process should I use? Submissions and interviews – what am I looking for?

Section 3:	Making the Right Start

	Step Ten Step Eleven: Step Twelve:	What is in a contract? Why do I need the initial briefing meeting? What else could I do in advance? Support information, payment schedules and ownership

Section 4:	The Right Tools To Manage The Job

	Step Thirteen: Step Fourteen: Step Fifteen: Step Sixteen: Step Seventeen:	Which research methods are the most appropriate for my project? What is the sampling frame for my project? What ethical considerations should I be aware of? How do I keep on top of the project? Meetings, milestones and reports So what do I do now? Dissemination, evaluation and action plan

Appendices:

	Glossary Useful Sources of Information and Links Acknowledgements Further Reading

This guide confines itself to suggested headings for the creation of a brief and contract. You can find a template for creating a research brief by accessing the Archive of Research Briefs. However, remember that every project is different and will require a bespoke approach, so if you use the archive of research briefs please adapt and modify sample research briefs to achieve positive results. Do not just copy!

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