Policymakers tell us that there is a pressing need for swift summaries of evidence. But how can we deliver rapid reviews of research without cutting corners and compromising on quality? This pilot project will test different ways to marry policymaker demand with academic rigour. A partnership between International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) and Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), it will develop and evaluate training, templates and toolkits for rapid reviews by university-based researchers.

A year-long project, it will create a series of reviews needed by House of Commons select committees, covering health, COVID-19, or social science topics. The partnership has recruited Jonathan Breckon to be a CAPE Policy Fellow to foster the collaboration between partners in academia and policy.

We are really pleased to be collaborating with CAPE and IPPO on this project. Through the collaboration, we aim to establish a robust mechanism for coproducing rapid evidence reviews for policy audiences. We hope that this will increase the access that Parliamentarians have to relevant, timely and useful analysis. Such analysis is crucial in supporting scrutiny of the Government. It also helps Parliament to make better legislation and to have more informed debate.

Oliver Bennett MBE, Head of POST