About LARCI
Strategically positioned at the interface between local authorities and the Research Councils, LARCI provides a response to the growing demand on local authorities for evidence-based policy making. LARCI brings local authorities and Research Councils into closer partnership, leading to better informed research, policy and practice, and facilitating knowledge exchange at a strategic and operational level.
Input from local authorities helps the Research Councils ensure the projects they fund have practical applications; using Research Council-funded research helps local authorities ensure their policies are based on reliable information.
What we offer
LARCI is a knowledge broker for local authorities and Research Council-funded researchers. We believe local government and academic researchers have much to gain from each other through research partnerships and the sharing of best practice. LARCI promotes access to useful research, funding sources and collaborative opportunities through a website, a quarterly e-newsletter and other publications, e-bulletins, a seminar series, an enquiry service, and a tailored brokering service bringing academics and practitioners together for collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
...to local authorities By disseminating the latest and most robust research relevant to local authorities, LARCI helps you ensure that your council’s policy and practice is backed up by a strong evidence base from the country’s leading researchers. LARCI provides a channel for local government to input throughout the research process, ensuring output is relevant to you as users.
...to academic researchers By canvassing input from local authorities on the current research challenges, LARCI helps ensure that your research maximises practical applications and can make the most positive impact on local government policy and practice.
Concordat
In 2007 the LARCI concordat 
was signed by member organisations ensuring support, cooperation and additional funding for the initiative. The concordat sets the foundations for a stronger strategic relationship between Local Government and the Research Councils to:
Co-produce new knowledge: local government will support and influence the strategic research agenda, and through active knowledge exchange, will ensure practical and widely-felt benefits from the results.
LARCI objectives are to:
- respond to issues identified by local authorities by promoting relevant Research Council-funded research
- help local authorities to meet their challenges through access to quality research
- facilitate knowledge exchange between the Research Councils and local authorities
- help the Research Councils, local authorities and representative organisations to develop strategic partnerships.
LARCI Governance
LARCI is governed by 13 member organisations working together to ensure researchers and local authorities are collectively benefiting in areas of mutual interest. For information on each of these organisations please use the links below.
The views of individuals registered with the LARCI mailing list are also important to us, and are increasingly consulted when planning LARCI activities.
Background
Local Government Shared Priorities
In 2002, the Government and the Local Government Association (LGA) agreed the shared priorities for joint working. Central and local government share a strong commitment to improving local services through investment and reform. Local councils have a key contribution to make as a result of their local democratic accountability and their ability to integrate the work of different agencies and organisations at a local level.
The document 'Partnership in action: guide to shared priorities', available to download from the LGA website, provides the framework within which LARCI operates.
For further information on LARCI please email Dr Andrea Turner andrea.turner@esrc.ac.uk , LARCI, c/o ESRC, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1UJ.