The Open Innovation Team Policy Masterclass

The York Policy Engine was delighted to deliver its first event with the Open Innovation Team (OIT) since the renewal of our partnership with them. In March we supported OIT to run a policy masterclass for colleagues from the FixOurFood Programme and the Stockholm Environment Institute at York (SEI Y).

The FixOurFood Programme is conducting ambitious research on how the current food system in Yorkshire can be transformed  to ensure that it is fit for purpose. SEI Y is an international research and policy organisation that tackles environment and development challenges and is part of the wider ESAY (Environmental Sustainability at York) initiative.

The Masterclass was a fantastic opportunity for the FixOurFood and SEI Y team to learn more about how best to turn their research into local and national government policy, making a real difference to people’s lives. There was some rich and interesting discussion on the complexities and distinctiveness of putting policy into practice, as colleagues shared their stories of advocating for change. Equally, anecdotal experiences of working for parliament were shared by OIT, giving participants a flavour of what policy makers need to know about their research, to influence change. 

The Open Innovation Team offers training for academics and other researchers on how to engage policy makers across the public sector. This training includes additional information on specific policy sectors and engagement with a diverse range of experts who work across Local authorities, Central Government, The Civil Service and Westminster.