Over the next 12 months our Director, Professor Steve Martin, will take a step back from day-to-day leadership of the WCPP to enable him to work with colleagues to advance understanding of successful approaches to supporting evidence-informed policy making.
With the support of our funders – the Welsh Government, ESRC and Cardiff University – Steve will work with researchers, research funders and other evidence centres to draw together and share what we’ve learned over the last ten years.
Our Director of Research, Professor James Downe has been appointed Acting Director for the next 12 months and will take responsibility for the day-to-day leadership of the Centre with support from other senior colleagues.
Steve Martin said, “We are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Wales Centre for Public Policy next month. I’m proud of the contribution we’ve made to Welsh public policy and very much looking forward to being part of the next phase of the Centre’s work of providing public service leaders and ministers with authoritative evidence on some of the most pressing challenges facing Wales.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time sharing what we’ve learnt over the ten years and exchanging experiences with colleagues who are engaged in similar work in other parts of the UK and internationally. The Centre is on a very strong footing with funding in place for the next five years and a brilliant group of dedicated staff, and I know that it will be in very good hands with James and the rest of our management team over the next 12 months.”
James Downe added, “I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge and continuing Steve’s drive to ensure that the WCPP provides Welsh policy makers with evidence that can help them to address their key priorities over the coming year.”