Commissioning individual projects Projects in the programme are prioritised at the beginning of the year and are commissioned in order of priority. The majority of projects are let following a process of competitive tender. Tenderers are selected by consulting the list of those who have expressed an interest and by taking account of Departmental knowledge of those who have relevant experience or expertise. Tenderers are invited to respond to a research specification developed by the Social Research Branch, in consultation with the research customer. Usually, external referees are invited to comment on proposals, but the final decision is made by an internal tender board comprising customers, researchers and, where relevant, other analytical colleagues.
All projects are subject to a process of evaluation when the research is completed.
The branch is part of the Department's Analytical Services Division. As well as social researchers, the division incorporates economists, statisticians and operational researchers who provide analytical support across the Department. The strength of this co-location is that analytical work can draw on the expertise of a number of disciplines. Researchers in ASD work closely with colleagues who make policy and deliver services. This is a well established principle across Whitehall and is intended to ensure that research meets the needs of the Department's policy makers and, ultimately Ministers The Social Research branch has about 20 researchers in seven sections.