Rigorous research continues to be the foundation for NLGN’s efforts to influence national policy on local governance. One purpose of our research is to discover and disseminate best practises across the range of challenges faced by local public services and their political leaders. NLGN research team apply this practical knowledge to develop solutions to the key public policy challenges of today and tomorrow.

The quality of our work is reflected in the organisations that have commissioned our research including the Audit Commission, Home Office, CABE, DCLG and the National Housing Federation.

Most important has been our ability to use rigorous research to develop robust new policy solutions that can – and do – influence national debate and shape government legislation. Our success was evident after the 1997 General Election through the impact of the ‘Starting to Modernise’ series. New Localism: Refashioning the Centre-Local Relationship in 2002 set the parameters for a new debate on devolution within a framework of national standards that has now become an all party consensus that centralised planning and targets must be replaced.