Alison Darlow

Principal Research Fellow,

Policy Research Institute

E-mail a.darlow@leedsmet.ac.uk

Qualifications

1994-2000 M.Phil. De Montfort University Leicester
1986-1992 BSc (Hons) Geography and Environmental Science, University of Bradford

Key Employment Experience

1999-2000 Research and Strategy Officer, Regeneration Strategy Team, Kirklees Metropolitan Council
1998-1999 Research Officer, Corporate Development Unit, Kirklees Metropolitan Council
1997-1998 Research and Information Officer, Bradford Metropolitan Borough Council
1994-1997 Junior Research Fellow, Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University Leicester
1992-1994 Project Officer, Environ, Leicester

Areas of Expertise and Experience

Regeneration and Area Based Initiatives
Evaluation
Local & Regional Governance
Sustainable Development and Local Agenda 21
Partnership Working
Skills and Labour Market Information
Qualitative Research Methods

Current and recent project work

Evaluation of the Sustainable Skills Symposium on behalf of the Academy for Sustainable Communities
Developing Guidelines for Training on Research Commissioning for the Social Research Association
Research to Support the Lyons Inquiry on behalf of the Lyons Inquiry Team
National Evaluation of Community Strategies and Plan Rationalisation for Office for the Deputy Prime Minister
Evaluation of New Deal for Communities for Office for the Deputy Prime Minister – in particular on the worklessness theme and partnership work in Sheffield.
Evaluation of the Working Neighbourhoods Pilots for Department of Work and Pensions
Call Off Contract to provide research and consultancy services for the Policy and Strategy Directorate of Yorkshire Forward
Promoting Change through Research: the impact of research on local government for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Review of Social Research on the District of Bradford for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Role of Research in Local Government for the Local Government Association and LARIA

Recent publications

Darlow, A., Percy Smith, J. and Wells, P. (2006-forthcoming) Community Strategies: are they delivering? Local Government Studies.

Devins, D., Darlow, A., Webber, D. (2006-forthcoming) What evidence of further digital divides? Local Economy.

Darlow, A. (2006) Making sense of Bradford: A Review of Research and Evidence, in Essay on the Yorkshire and Humber Region, Research Report, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds.

Darlow, A. and Percy Smith, J. (2006) Process evaluation of Plan Rationalisation and Formative Evaluation of Community Strategies: Annual Report 2006, Department dor Communities and Local Government, London

Darlow, A., Bickerstaffe, T., Burden, T., Green, J., Jassi, S., Johnson, S., Kelsey, S., Purcell, M., South, J. and Walton, F. (2005) Researching Bradford: a review of social research on Bradford District, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York.

Darlow, A., Fidler, Y., and Wymer, P. (2005) Process evaluation of Plan Rationalisation and Formative Evaluation of Community Strategies: Report of the December 2004 Survey of local authorities, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, London.

Darlow, A., Percy Smith, J. and Wells, P. (2005) Process evaluation of Plan Rationalisation and Formative Evaluation of Community Strategies: Annual Report 2004, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, London

Percy Smith, J. and Darlow, A. (2005) Knowledge is power: the need for effective research in local government, Local Government Association and LARIA, London. ISBN: 1 84049 472 7

Darlow, A. (2004) Intermediate Labour Markets: Early Findings, The National Evaluation of New Deal for Communities Research Report 21. ISBN: 1 4387 066 5.

Darlow, A. and Johnson, S. (2004) 'Incorporating sustainable development into European Structural Funds: emerging issues from ESF Objective 3 in England', Paper for the Regional Studies Association Conference, Angers, France.

Devins, D. and Darlow, A. (2004) 'Reflections on the Operationalisation of a Quasi Experimental Approach to Evaluation within the Context of an Area Based Pilot Programme', Evaluation: The International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice.

Darlow, A., Devins, D. and Walton, F, (2002) 'Successful regeneration through partnership working: An example from Leeds', Paper for the British Academy of Management Conference, London.

Devins, D., Darlow, A. and Smith, V. (2002) 'Lifelong Learning and digital exclusion: Lessons from the evaluation of an ICT learning centre and an emerging research agenda', Regional Studies, November.

Darlow, A., Devins, D. and Walton, F, (2002) 'Successful regeneration through partnership working: An example from Leeds', Paper for the British Academy of Management Conference, London.

Devins, D., Darlow, A. and Smith, V. (2002) 'Learning Centres: Addressing ICT Skills Development and Social Exclusion? Some Survey Evidence', in Banwell, L. and Collier, M. (ed.) Human Aspects of the Information Society, an international collection of papers, Information Management Research Institute, Northumbria University.

Carter, N. and Darlow, A. (1997) 'Local Agenda 21 and Developers: Are we better equipped to build a consensus in the 1990s?' Planning Practice and Research Vol. 12 No. 1 pp. 45-57

Darlow, A. and Carter, N. (1996) 'The Involvement of Private Developers in Local Agenda 21', in Y, Rydin (ed.) Environmental Research and Surveyors (John Wiley: London).

Darlow, A. (1996) 'Cultural Policy and Sustainable Urban Development: Making a Missing Link?', Planning Practice and Research Vol. 11 No. 3 pp. 291-301

Other information

Member of Steering Group for ESRC Seminar Series on Managing and Researching Urban Partnerships
Member of Steering Group for the UK Evaluation Society Yorkshire and Humber Branch.

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