Scottish Policy Innovation Forum (SPIF)

The Scottish Policy Innovation Forum (SPIF) was established in May 2006. The Forum's purpose is to foster better and more meaningful dialogue between academics and policymakers, with a view to ensuring that public policy is better informed by research.

The Forum enjoys a very high-profile membership. Its organising committee comprises academics from a number of Scottish universities – including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, St Andrews, Stirling, QMU and Glasgow Caledonian – the majority of whom hold senior academic positions. Membership of the Forum is not restricted to academics, but is open to anyone with a professional interest in the development of public policy in Scotland. The Forum currently boasts more than 360 members, including some of the most senior figures in the Scottish public, private and voluntary sectors.

The Forum held a number of seminars in 2006 and early 2007 in order to stimulate debate in the run-up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. In addition to its own seminar programme, the Forum collaborated with the Scottish Parliament Futures Forum to arrange the Scottish Policy Expo, a showcase of contemporary thought on public policy development, which was held in the Scottish Parliament in November 2006. In January 2007, three members of the Forum participated in the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum, also held in the Scottish Parliament. The Forum took a deliberate break immediately prior to and during the Scottish Parliament election process, and in July 2007 announced an ambitious autumn and winter programme.

Topics covered in SPIF events include:
* Transport policy
* Social deprivation and inequality
* Economic development
* Public sector reform
* Demographic change
* Law and order
* Early years
* Media policy
* Social Policy, employment and the active labour market

External links

* [http://www.scottishpolicyforum.org/ SPIF Website]