UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) public engagement team will be holding a supplier event on 16 December 2020 for the management of the Sciencewise public dialogue programme.
The event is ahead of the launch of the invitation to tender in early 2021.
We will discuss:
- the aims of the programme
- the terms of reference for the new programme’s approach
- what we are looking for in a supplier.
We will also hold a question and answer session.
About the Sciencewise programme
The Sciencewise programme is a public sector leader in participatory deliberative engagement, bringing public values and views into policy, priorities, and plans on new or controversial areas of science and technology. In doing so, the programme, through its funded studies, has:
- explored public understanding of, and support for, science and technology
- supported the public to discuss uncertainty and complexity
- deliberate on issues such as equity, ethics, fairness, openness and transparency.
Since 2004 we have supported over 60 participatory public dialogue projects1 in topics ranging from artificial intelligence and data, and genomics, to clean growth and the future of food production. We have developed a strong reputation for innovation, inclusivity, and impact.
UKRI is seeking a supplier to manage the programme and help implement the its new terms of reference, which underpin the new approach that will go live from 1 April 2021.
The value of the contract for the management of the Sciencewise programme will be £240,000 per year exclusive of VAT, and we will initially award the successful supplier a two year contract.
About the potential supplier
The supplier should have an ambition to:
- build on Sciencewise’s achievements
- engage with potential public dialogue co-sponsors across UKRI, government, and civil society, to identify opportunities for meaningful, inclusive engagement between the public and the worlds of scientific research and government policy.
Project identification and dissemination of learning are major components, as is working closely with UKRI over programme strategy, methods and impact.
The organisation in this role also coordinates and quality assures the public dialogue projects and evaluation work being undertaken by the commissioned contractor.
We particularly welcome interest from organisations who might not have a public dialogue background. These organisations could partner with others to build on past successes and address areas needing improvement as identified in a recent independent review of the programme undertaken by the School of International Futures (PDF, 523KB).
Contact
Please email any questions you have to:
- philippa.lang@ukri.org – Programme Manager, Public Dialogue
- graham.bukowski@ukri.org – Public Engagement Lead, Public Dialogue, Evidence and Impact.
1. Examples of projects can be found on the Sciencewise website.
Top image: Credit: Jian Fan/GettyImages