Independence of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Sector in Northern Ireland: Lessons for government-voluntary sector relations

Dr Markus Ketola and Dr Ciaran Hughes (Ulster) – This presentation presents findings from new research that investigates the independence of voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) in Northern Ireland. Commissioned by the Building Change Trust, the research draws on survey results, interviews and focus groups with respondents from both the voluntary sector and … Read more

A Fresh Look at Community Engagement and Regeneration: Toward Good Practice and Innovative Policy in Northern Ireland

Dr Saul M. Golden and Mr Lindesay Dawe (Ulster) – The Fresh Start Agreement set out three key aims for public consultation and engagement: To enhance decision-making; to improve the acceptability of decisions reached; to build capacity internally and externally for improved relationships and stakeholder input to political processes. These aims remain relevant to current … Read more

The Problems with Outcome Based Accountability (2)

Prof Ann Marie Gray (Ulster) – A relatively new and common feature of the devolved administrations in the UK has been the emergence of outcome based frameworks as key components of their policy making processes. An outcome based approach was signalled by the Northern Ireland Government in 2015 as an ambitious approach which would be … Read more

The Problems with Outcome Based Accountability (1)

Prof Derek Birrell (Ulster) – A relatively new and common feature of the devolved administrations in the UK has been the emergence of outcome based frameworks as key components of their policy making processes. An outcome based approach was signalled by the Northern Ireland Government in 2015 as an ambitious approach which would be applied … Read more

The Charity Sector in NI: The Importance of Regulation, Accountability and Trust

Prof Ciaran Connolly, Prof Noel Hyndman and Dr Mariannunziata Liguori (QUB) – The charity sector is significant socially and economically, with the activities of charities being pervasive, increasingly in the joint provision of government services. They exist in most societies and are facilitated through various administrative frameworks and major tax concessions. The sector in the … Read more

Inclusive Practice through Keyword Signing – Addressing barriers to accessible classrooms

Prof Kieron Sheehy (OU) – This presentation sets out evidence that having an accessible communicative environment is the core of inclusive educational practice, facilitating positive outcomes for diverse groups of learners (Sheehy et al. 2009). One effective communicate approach is keyword signing (KWS), which typically samples the manual signs of a country’s Deaf community. For … Read more

Transition from Primary Language Programmes to Post-Primary Language Provision

Mr Ian Collen (QUB) – As in England, entries for GCSE and A-level languages in Northern Ireland have declined annually since 2004 (CCEA/JCQ). To redress this decline, languages are now compulsory from Primary 5 to Primary 7 in England. In Scotland, two languages will be compulsory at primary level from 2020. This has led to … Read more

Languages in Primary Schools in Northern Ireland

Dr Sharon Jones (Stranmillis University College) – The current deficit in skills in modern languages is economically detrimental (Foreman-Peck and Wang, 2013), not least to the growth of the export base (Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, 2014). Evidence suggests that learning a modern language should begin at primary school (Lenneberg, 1967; Jones and Coffey, 2006) … Read more

Parity of Esteem Re-visited & Re-imagined

Prof Simon Lee (OU) – The concept of “parity of esteem” is central to diverse constitutional, political, legal and socio-economic narratives of Northern Ireland and of these islands. In 1994, Professor Simon Lee analysed the history and philosophical underpinning of “parity of esteem” in a collection of essays in honour of Reverend Eric Gallagher, tracing … Read more

The Northern Ireland Bill of Rights in the Context of Brexit

Dr Anne Smith (Ulster) and Prof Colin Harvey (QUB) – This presentation focuses on an independent funded project (Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust) that seeks to address the issue of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland in the context of Brexit. A Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland remains part of the unfinished work of … Read more