Developing your approach

This webinar recording provides a helpful overview of how to approach consultation and evidence gathering, and two case studies: Wrexham Glyndwr’s work with a range of partners to co-create their civic strategy; and work at City-REDI at the University of Birmingham to develop an evidence function for the city and region.

The slides and links from the event can also be downloaded here:

These case studies reveal how different HEI partnerships have gone about developing their civic strategies. Recorded at the end of 2020, they reveal very different approaches, and contain lots of practical advice about the lessons learned.

We have also summarised the key learning in this event write up:

The universities in Greater Manchester began the development of a city-wide partnership in the summer of 2020. Julian Skyrme, Director of social responsibility at the University of Manchester, provided this update a few months into the process.

This briefing note provides links to useful resources developed at Manchester.

You can also watch an update on the project here, which was recorded in January 2022 shortly after the launch of their Civic University Agreement.

The University of Keele is focusing its civic work through a series of sector deals, a process they began back in 2017. Ann Pittard, Director of Engagement and Partnerships at Keele, explains their approach.

This briefing note provides links to useful resources developed at Keele.

The story of how the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde went about developing a partnership approach and launched a civic agreement in the summer of 2020.

Trevor MacMillan, VC at the University of Keele, and the government’s Knowledge Exchange Champion, reflects on Keele’s approach to the civic agenda.

More case studies focusing on learning from universities developing CUAs across the UK

Jane Robinson, PVC Engagement and Place at Newcastle University, outlined their evolving approach in June 2020, and reflected on the impact of COVID-19 on their plans.

In this video, Jacqui Robinson, Director of Communications & Marketing at Sheffield Hallam University, shares SHU’s approach to consultation and regional engagement.

“We went back to the core principle of the public and key stakeholders being at the heart of the partnership, informing the role of Hallam as a civic University”.

Sarah Gifford, Community Engagement lead at Queen Mary University of London reflects on how QMUL wanted to place citizen involvement at the centre of their scoping work. This case study explains how they went about this and offers tips and practical tools.

Ensuring you have effective community engagement is key to developing a robust Civic University Agreement. The case studies below show how universities across the UK have taken on this challenge. You can also download slide packs from the events here:

Eden’s director of Development, Dan James, shares their ups and downs and lessons learnt about community engagement.

Emily Morrison from the Institute for Community Studies provides some useful tools and principles for approaching community engagement.

You can also download the Civic University Network’s Effective Community Engagement Toolkit here, produced by Emily Morrison and Liam Harney.

Nicola Gratton, Lead for Civic Engagement and Evaluation at Staffordshire University, explains how community engagement is underpinning their approach to the Civic agenda.

Liam Harney from the Young Foundation reflects on his experiences working for Big Local – a 10 year Lottery programme investing £150m in 100 communities, with decision making resting with those communities.