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Arts can make an important contribution to the social inclusion of marginalised groups such as those with mental health problems. In this article three different voices ‐ those of the arts project user and artist, the project manager and artist, and the academic ‐ explain from their varying perspectives what this contribution may be, and how it operates. By enabling cultural citizenship, the arts provide a means for people who would otherwise remain on the margins of their communities to participate in public life and inhabit mainstream social spaces.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue on “the ‘new’ policy partnership”.

The paper highlights the significance of policy‐academic partnerships and outlines the papers included in this issue.

It is important to form and maintain partnerships and collaborations with new nontraditional stakeholders. One place where this is evident is in academia.

The special issue includes original articles that address innovative ways in which researchers and policy makers can collaborate to move policy agendas forward.

The purpose of this interview is to gain insight from the career of policy‐maker and researcher, Jane Oates, on the collaborations between academia and government to effect social change.

This article is based on an interview with Jane Oates conducted in May of 2007.

Based on her experiences, she states that social change requires a three‐way partnership between academia, government, and the people they serve. She makes specific recommendations for the ways these groups can find a common language to reach their shared goals.

This account provides the unique perspective of a professional who has spent years in both academia and policy‐making.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the nation's first hospital to housing for homeless individuals. The Chicago Housing for Health Partnership (CHHP), a Housing First and Harm Reduction model, creates a new comprehensive system of health care, housing and supportive services.

The researchers conducted a year long process evaluation of the housing program using a multi‐method approach, which involved qualitative interviews, focus groups, document analysis and observations. The paper examined the CHHP system at three different levels (the administrative, service provision and the client levels).

The study allowed the organizational participants the ability to better understand their program by visually modeling the system for the first time and documenting its effectiveness. It also furthered the understanding of how and why the housing first model is best accompanied by a harm reduction approach. Finally, the paper was able to show how and why organizational system design is important in creating the most effective environment in which programs have a real impact.

The authors were able to help CHHP program leaders conduct strategic planning and to present their program as an effective model future funding agencies and to policy makers. CHHP has incorporated the recommendations into their permanent model. In addition, the CHHP leadership, in a network with other Housing First advocates, has disseminated the findings at national conferences and networking meetings. The authors' relationship with CHHP will continue with the design of a second stage research strategy in order to continue research on Harm Reduction Housing and policy advocacy.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a corrections–academic partnership that works, the essential factors that influence its success and productivity, and how this partnership builds the capacity to conduct research on corrections issues.

A case study design was used. The corrections–academic partnership has been in existence for five years.

Over the five years, the partnership has yielded over a dozen peer‐reviewed publications and another half dozen under review, five policy reports, and over $3 million in external funding by the academic partner and over $6 million by the corrections partner. By working together, partners develop parallel procedures for conducting and facilitating research, strategic networks and resources that foster research, and the ability to write competitive applications for external funding.

Findings are based on a single partnership but they are consistent with the broader literature on practice–academic collaborations. Practice–academic partnerships have the potential to build and strengthen the infrastructure that supports research, as well as the capacity to conduct it independently within practice and research settings.

Collaborative partnership between practice and academic units can work; they can work in ways that develop and diffuses evidence while building infrastructure and capacity. When collaborations work, they are synergistic.

Provides clarity about the benefits of collaboration.

As academic fields increasingly turn to social action and seek partnerships with groups beyond the academy, so too are we looking for guidance. Rural sociology developed out of applying research to social action and within this field was a unique unit. The purpose of this paper is to present a history of the Division of Farm Population and Rural Life, which was part of the US Department of Agriculture from 1919 to 1953 was a pioneer in applying sociological knowledge to policy and action.

This article looks back to the history of this unit to examine the lessons to be learned.

Placing these lessons within the context of contemporary issues underscores the continuing relevance of this historical experience.

The issues surrounding engaging external partners are both particularistic and universal. However, without an historical sense of the challenges, each time we encounter them, the challenges feel new and somehow unique. This article looks back to history to examine lessons that can be learned. Placing these lessons within the context of contemporary issues underscores relevance of the historical experience from events and people that occurred several generations of professionals ago.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Gender, Employment and Local Labour Market (GELLM) Programme of Research (2003‐2006), which is delivered through a partnership of academics, policy‐makers, trade unions and practitioners at national and local levels of the UK, directed by Professor Sue Yeandle of Sheffield Hallam University. It discusses the contractual and task‐based relationships, which are set up among the partners and the ways in which the research process is designed and executed collaboratively. The GELLM partnership is maintained without complicated information technology or customised training, relying instead on the commitment of the individuals involved and a very clear and well managed face‐to‐face report‐back structure. The paper concludes by analysing the criteria that made this partnership work successfully and the types of impact it is able to achieve locally and nationally on gender equality policy‐making.

The aims and objectives of the research programme included the production in partnership of gender‐disaggregated “Gender Profiles” of the labour market in 12 local authorities, awareness‐raising about gendered inequality in their local labour markets, and the exploration of specific issues in new, multi‐method local research studies whose focus is agreed with the project partners with a view to “gender mainstreaming” the research findings.

The GELLM research findings are not discussed as the focus is on the partnership arrangements.

Criteria for the successful working of the partnership, and the challenges faced are discussed in the paper.

Thatch roofs are an important part of our heritage. Describes the history of thatch, the fire precautions necessary, its thermal properties and life span. Many thatch roofed properties are supported by cob walls. Describes the history of cob walls, the repair of existing cob walls, new work and the building regulations. Suggests that the Government should give more incentive to the use of thatch and cob walls, both for the purposes of construction and to keep alive the rural crafts associated with them.