Centre for Public Service Partnerships

CPSP@LGiU

The Centre, established in 2008, was a research centre and policy and practice institute of the University of Birmingham, before moving to the Local Government Information Unit.

In addition to receiving support from the University of Birmingham, core initial funding was provided by The Aldridge Foundation from 2008 - 2009, alongside Professor Keith Palmer, Balfour Beatty, and Michael Rawlinson, amongst others.

The Centre's approach is:

• to be the leading source of authoritative, evidence based advice on public service partnerships for government, the wider public sector, the third sector and the corporate sector, academics and other stakeholders; and to be the leading knowledge base for practice and research in public service partnerships nationally and internationally
• to influence and shape policy and practice debate and the development of public service partnerships
• to undertake and actively disseminate leading academic research on an international basis on public service partnerships and other forms of strategic alliances between public sector organisations; and those organisations and the business and third sectors – with the objective of supporting practice and policy development
• to undertake commissioned research
• to be an international hub for the generation and dissemination of new insights and ideas (theoretical, methodological, empirical and practical) in the delivery of public service partnerships
• to act as a major link between the academic, policy and practitioner communities
• to provide a forum for dialogue and debate between the sectors on the best ways to deliver effective outcomes through partnership.
• to publish in world class journals, shape the research agenda and influence academic debate and developments; and in professional, trade and other appropriate media
• to undertake strategic consultancy assignments

A Strategy for the Centre has recently been adopted following consultation with the Centre's Advisory Board, colleagues at the University and many of the Centre's stakeholders and partners.

The Centre focuses on all forms of public service partnerships including collaboration, contracting, networking relations in:

• public agency to public agency partnerships
• public – third sector partnerships
• public-private partnerships including PPP and PFI; and outsourcing partnerships
• co-production and partnerships between commissioning bodies and providers and citizens/consumers and communities
• central and local government and the wider public sector and relationships between these sectors

The Centre for Public Service Partnerships arranges roundtable discussions and workshops on topical issues which are of relevance to the policy and practitioner communities. Some of these events are organised in partnership with other bodies including the Centre's Strategic Partners. Joint events have been held, and others are planned, with the Aldridge Foundation. Attendance is by invitation and participants are drawn from the University, the Centre's Advisory Board, Strategic Partners and the wider stakeholder communities – think tanks, trade unions, policy, practitioner and academic. Papers presented to and arising from these seminars, roundtables and workshops may be published both as academic papers and in forms more appropriate for the professional, policy and practitioner community.

The Centre's Director is John Tizard – john.tizard@lgiu.org.uk and he is supported by a number of associates with practical and policy experience.  CPSP@LGiU's address is 22 Upper Woburn Place, London, WC1H 0TB, or switchboard is 020 7554 2800.