Commissioning

cultural research
A straightforward guide
 Introduction
Research can help cultural organisations plan their future direction, as well as supporting
proposed policy and practice. It can provide evidence of need for a project, suggest ways of
reaching an audience segment, or assess the effectiveness of work you’ve already done.

This is a straightforward guide to the process of planning and commissioning cultural

research.

© Institute of Cultural Capital, 2011

Commissioning cultural research
Planning your research project
Before you set out it’s always worth asking yourself:

Is this research necessary?

Is there a practical, tangible benefit from doing it, and if so, who for?

Do I need to commission someone or can we do it in-house?

1. Start by agreeing the aims and purpose of your research: exactly what questions are you
aiming to answer, and what will you do with the results?

2. Identify the key stakeholders who have a vested interest in the outcomes (e.g. your staff,
board, trustees, supporters, other networks, etc)

3. Look at what research has already been done in this area – to avoid reinventing the
wheel

4. Work out how much you can afford to spend on the research

5. Think about collaborating with other organisations: is there anyone else who might
benefit from the information and evidence you’re looking to collect?

6. If the work is particularly significant, long-term or involves partners, think about setting
up an advisory group who can work together to plan and manage the project.

‘
’
Consider whether it's actually new knowledge you're seeking.
Commissioning cultural research

Perhaps a recorded conversation between experts could give you

the answers or ideas you need.

M yna T rust ram

Research Manager, Renaissance North West
 The commissioning process
You’ll need to decide on how you’re going to commission researchers. There are three
main ways:

1. Directly appointing someone

2. Inviting a shortlist of people to submit bids

3. Inviting competitive tenders.

Bear in mind that funders may require that research is openly tendered, and that your
organisation may already have procurement guidelines in place. Whichever method you
choose, you’ll need to draw up a research brief.
Commissioning cultural research
Drafting a brief
This will typically include details about:

Your organisation and your audiences

What’s prompted the research

Your aims and objectives for the research: what you’re trying to find out, and why
it will be useful to you

What audiences you’d like to see involved or specifically targeted in the research

What methods you’d like to see used (if you’ve got any in mind)

What outputs you’re looking for – e.g. a report, set of recommendations, presentation,
toolkit, etc.

What timescale you’d like the researchers to work to

What budget is available

Details of how to apply, deadlines for applications, and interview dates.

‘ Your brief will be appealing to researchers if you’re as clear as you

possibly can about what you want, and any parameters such as
budget, timeframe, alreadyidentified focus groups or areas of study.

’
If you have a budget in mind, include it. In that way you’ll be able to
see exactly what a provider is giving you for that money, although
bear in mind the number of days work included is not always the best
Commissioning cultural research

measure. An experienced researcher can deliver good quality results

in half the time of a less experienced one.

S a ll y F o r t
Cultural Consultant
 Choosing a researcher
When you’ve shortlisted researchers from their proposals or applications, it’s usually a
good idea to invite them for an interview and get a feel for their approach. It’ll be easier to
choose the right researcher(s) for your project if you’ve already agreed clear criteria against
which you’re going to measure them. Additionally, if you ask a standard set of questions at
interview, it’ll be easier to assess their responses.

Some key points to consider:

How far do they understand your organisation and what you’re trying to do?

Have they grasped your aims and ambitions for the project?

Are their proposed methods clear and appropriate?

Have they broken down their costs (and included all extras, like VAT and travel and
accommodation expenses)?

If they’ve got specific experience of working in the cultural sector, can they can offer any
testimonials or references from other organisations?

‘ Make sure you (or someone on your panel) know enough about
your subject area to not be ‘blinded by science’. Make sure you get
on with the researcher – nobody likes working with people with no

’
personality – but equally, don’t just be fooled by charming people –
check they can do what they say they can do. Do your research on
your researcher! Make sure you know as much about them as
possible (check out their references, past work, word of mouth
Commissioning cultural research

and so on). If it's a big contract it will pay to do a little more digging.

A d e y i n k a O lu s h o n d e
Partnerships and Development Coordinator,
Liverpool Arts & Regeneration Consortium

Is it important for your researchers to have local knowledge and be based locally or is it
more important to have national/international knowledge and expertise?

Have they considered how the research findings could be communicated?

Have they shown an awareness of data protection, intellectual property and

ethical issues?

Have they outlined exactly who’ be carrying out which parts of the research, and what
their specialist skills are?

Is their timescale clear and workable?

Have they proposed how they’ll keep in touch with you throughout the project?

After interviews, you might decide to take up references before making a final decision.

Commissioning cultural research

 Drawing up a contract
It’s important to draw up some kind of written agreement to clarify what the researcher is
expected to deliver, and when. This contract should include confirmation of fees and when
they’ll be paid. Make sure to include any changes which have been agreed since the brief
stage.

Managing the project

Even when you’ve appointed someone to carry out your research, you can’t just sit back and
do nothing until the day they’re due to deliver their final report. It’s important to keep in
touch with your researcher(s) – ideally through planned meetings of the steering group or
with your project manager. Agree a timetable of interim reports or updates, and keep an
eye on whether deliverables are being met, and interim payments being made as agreed.

‘
’
Don't let the researcher take control. It's very easy to find yourself
being guided by consultants down a road that they feel comfortable
with (or for which they have already some work, perhaps for another
client). And don't fall into the trap of answering their questions for
them – you're paying them, remember!

Br uce Ben nison

Commissioning cultural research

Head of Cultural Policy, Cumbria County Council

After the research is completed
There’s nothing worse than research which just sits on a shelf gathering dust, and is never
Text
acted on. Make sure you communicate the findings of the research as widely as appropri-
ate. Think about internal and external audiences for the research, and how you can use it
to inform policy and practice, raise your profile, and forge new partnerships.

‘ Research findings can be complex, contradictory and easily misunderstood.

Therefore, it’s advisable to spend the extra time and effort to ensure
the messages you wish to communicate are easily accessible and
understandable. Involving colleagues with marketing and media expertise
is highly advisable at this stage.

A series of summaries tailored for different audiences (e.g. the general

public, the media, senior executives, practioners, fellow researchers) can
help get your messages across. Different target audiences may require
different presentational styles, for example busy chief executives are

’
unlikely to read a lengthy document and will require a succinct overview.

An accessible, attractive and readable final report or summary is essential,

and a launch event and aligned conference can be a good way to
maximise publicity and generate debate.

Martin Thompson
Policy Officer, Liverpool City Council Commissioning cultural research
The Institute of Cultural Capital is a strategic collaboration between the
University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.

We aim to improve policymaking around cultural innovation in Europe,

drawing on the city of Liverpool’s experience in delivering and researching
major cultureled regeneration programmes of international significance.
Through critical interdisciplinary cultural research and its holistic
synthesis with cultural policy and practice, we’re encouraging and
unlocking cultural potential and creativity to promote social inclusion,
health and wellbeing, economic innovation and urban regeneration.

www.iccliverpool.ac.uk