It is true that policy work and policy outcomes are difficult to measure and monitor. Here at IARS we have identified ways that allow us to track down the changes we make through our user-led policy work. These changes/ outcomes are achieved in addition to our frontline service delivery with marginalised young people and organisations serving them.
So, what does success look like for IARS' user-led policy work? We have included in this page some concrete achievements illustrating how our empowered young people make a real difference at a local, regional, national, European and on some occasions international level.
What does success look like for IARS policy work?
| Year | Policy Area | Policy Level | Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Youth Unemployment | National | IARS received an email of thanks from ACEVO for the contribution they made to the final report of their Commission for Youth Unemployment, chaired by David Miliband MP. |
| 2011 | Youth Policy | National | Young representatives from the 99% Campaign were invited to meet Tim Loughton to discuss their work and the Youth Policy Response Group's response to Positive for Youth. The Minister stated that he had taken on board recommendations in the response regarding equalities and diversity |
| 2011 | Police Powers | London | Following IARS' representation at the MPA community consultation speaking against the proposed removal of stop and ccount monitoring an announcement was made that stop and account would continue to be monitored. |
| 2011 | Human Rights | National | IARS received a letter from response from Lynne Feathersone, Equalities Minister, following the Youth Policy Response Group's submission to the consultation on proposed reforms to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. |
| 2011 | Police Powers | London | IARS' volunteer, Danni Briggs, represented the organisation at the MPA community consultation regarding the proposed removal of stop and account monitoring. Her contribution was praised by MPA and the StopWatch group. |
| 2011 | Education | National | IARS' Youth Policy Response Group have galvanised the expertise of key citizenship organisations in London, including the Citizenship Foundation, British Youth Council, the Anne Frank Trust UK and Envision to make a submission to the National Curriculum Review Call for Evidence. |
| 2011 | Youth-led sector | National | IARS' volunteer, Ben Hicky, was invited by Times Higher Education to represent the organisation at a panel discussion regarding the future of research. Ben spoke about the value of youth-led research and received positive feedback from fellow panelists and the audience. |
| 2011 | Criminal Justice | National | The London Serious Youth Violence Board have drawn on IARS' experience and research to to make recommendations concerning the involvement of young people in decision making processes and public perceptions of young people, in their final report. |
| 2011 | Big Society | National | IARS' response to the government consultation 'Supporting a Stronger Civil Society' generated positive feedback from key organisations including the Equality and Diversity Forum, Metropolitan Police Service and the London Serious Youth Violence Board. |
| 2010 | Criminal Justice | London | Safer Transport Command and Transport for London agree to develop new research with the Youth Advisory Board to reduce crime on London's public transport. |
| 2010 | Community Cohesion | National | IARS’ young people met with senior representatives from the national media as part of the 99% campaign run by the SYVB. All panel members are looking to incorporate young people's comments into the way in which they report stories about young people. |
| 2010 | Public Legal Education | International | IARS asked to present its work on legal capability and public legal education in Canada. The Canadian Ministry of Justice is now exploring ways of introducing PLE into the mainstream educational system. |
| 2010 | Criminal Justice | London |
The Youth Advisory Board presents findings from their research into youth violence during the Halloween period to the Metropolitan Policy Service as part of Operation Blunt. Awareness raising and the breakdown of stereotypes (young people/ police) are being achieved. |
| 2010 | Youth-led Sector | London |
IARS case study of the Latin American Youth Forum selected by GLA's review into Migrant and Refugee Community Organisations' (MRCO) activities and community development initiatives. |
| 2010 | Youth-led Sector | London | IARS' Director membership to the London Mayor's Migrant, Refugee and Asylum seekers Board puts the youth-led sector on their research and policy map and asks for case studies to inform the Mayor's strategy on integration in London. |
| 2010 | Criminal Justice | National |
IARS responds to the Home Office consultation, Policing in the 21st Century. IARS received positive feedback from members, the Home Office and The Crown Prosecution Service. Increased awareness about youth-led sector issues and introduced the equality debate into the criminal justice discussion. |
| 2010 | Criminal Justice | National |
IARS meets with Home Office representatives to discuss the rehabilitation of young offenders through alternative methods including restorative justice. Awairness of the youth-led model of civic engagement is achieved and further discussions are taking place in making government-youth led partnership working stronger (e.g. holding Home Office youth-led sector event). |
| 2010 | Criminal Justice | London |
The London Criminal Justice Partnership commits to use IARS' research in their review of the Criminal Justice System. |
| 2009 | Youth-led Research | International | IARS supports the British Council to set up an international think-tank in the Middle East. IARS staff support this new think-tank Youth Arab Research Network by providing training on research methods in Egypt and Lebanon. |
| 2009 | Human rights education | National | IARS' human rights training with young people and those providing services to them, is used by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Human Rights Commission as an example of community based human rights education. It is referenced in their work as a good practice example. |
| 2009 | Human Rights | National |
IARS invited to give oral evidence to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. This was under their Human Rights Inquiry. The evidence has been published in the Human Rights Inquiry report and mentions IARS' human rights training to young people as one way forward for increasing awareness of rights and responsibilities amongst young people. |
| 2009 | Public Legal Education | National | Lord William Bach, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice, speaks at the IARS event to launch Measuring Legal Capability Report. The IARS report is used as a key reference for PLE activities in the UK and internationally. It now serves as a basis for further PLE related research. |
| 2008 | Hate crime & Restorative justice | National | IARS youth-led research report on the "Young People's Hate Crime Project" opens the dialogue for the use of restorative justice with hate crime. The research is mentioned in national media and used for the follow up joint report "Restoring Relationships: the use of restorative justice with hate crimes". The MPA Hate Crime Forum Annual Report makes word-to-word reference to the report and points to our recommendations. |
| 2008 | Human Rights | National | IARS receives Impetus Award from the Ministry of Justice for its work on using human rights to tackle homophobic bullying. |
| 2007 | Youth-led sector | National | IARS' first ever youth-led policy conference "Youth into Policy" attracts over 100 delegates and brings to the discussion table marginalised young people and key decision makers and funders. It puts the word "youth-led" on the policy map for good and open the road to youth-led policy and research. |
| 2007 | Criminal justice | London | IARS' Director is selected to sit on the Community Involvement Panel of the London Crown Prosecution Service. Through this role, IARS increases awareness of the value and role of the youth-led sector, and puts youth issues on the map for the CPS and criminal justice agencies. |
| 2007 | Human rights | National & international | IARS' youth-led report on the use of human rights to address homophobic bullying is used as a ground breaking piece of research for policy and practice. The Human Rights Commission in Northern Ireland makes reference to the report and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights uses the findings. |
| 2006 | Restorative justice | International | Original research published by Gavrielides and Coker (IARS' first volunteers) lays the foundations for the use of restorative justice for sexual offending cases that occured within the Catholic Church. The research is used by US policy and campaigning bodies as well as UK based universities and pressure groups to bring about a change in the way these cases are handled. |
