Philip
Brown
Ad-Hoc Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
I have a background in psychology as it is applied to the built and human environment. I am Professor of Housing & Communities at the University of Huddersfield, UK. I have been a member of the UK Housing Studies Association since 2017 and Chair of the Association between 2019-2021. I have published over 85 outputs in the field of urban development with a number of these focused on issues such as sustainable retrofit, energy efficiency, energy vulnerability, integration and homelessness. I have delivered research for a range of organisations including UK Research Councils, the European Commission, large charitable bodies, local authorities and a range of public and private sector organisations. My profile can be found https://pure.hud.ac.uk/en/persons/philip-brown
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
I have worked I the following two transnational projects: Roma MATRIX (across 10 Member States) and Roma SOURCE (across 6 Member States). These were both undertaken with financial support from the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship programme of the European Union. My role in these projects was to support research, data collection and contribute to learning activities. Working across the partner countries I worked in collaboration to deliver outputs which contributed to wider project goals.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
I am a British national and have fluency in English in terms of oral and written forms of communications for a variety of audiences.
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
I have participated in a number of large scale projects including two major projects which were transnational in scope and delivery. These projects were Roma SOURCE and Roma MATRIX - both were undertaken with financial support from the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship programme of the European Union. Within these specific projects my role has been one of research and data gathering with a view to highlighting the delivery, and experience of receipt, of social policies for Roma inclusion. The wider activities within these projects have included the facilitation of workshops, updating and disseminating on progress within the agreed workplan, supporting and contributing to the co-ordination of partner involvement, communicating with diverse audiences and provoking and documenting discussions. In so doing i have routinely worked to develop positive partner dynamics whilst respecting cultural differences. I have been able to utilize a variety of digital and traditional tools to engage with partners and support collaborative work through empowering approaches. I have bene involved in authoring over 85 outputs which have routinely communicated complex concepts to a variety of audiences, including non-English speakers. I have produced a variety of written documents including internal meeting documents to high level outputs which incorporate good practice and policy recommendations.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Active Inclusion of Target Groups
Summary Thematic expertise:
I am Professor of Housing and Communities and have over 16 years developed a programme of work which aims to understand and contribute to alleviating the inequalities experienced by a range of marginalised communities. I have led numerous studies for major funders including the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), European Commission, UK Government departments and devolved administrations, as well as studies for local authorities, housing organisations, charities and private sector organisations. I have supported the work of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) by providing fieldwork research and analysis. I have worked as a Specialist Advisor to the UK’s Women and Equalities Parliamentary Committee on their inquiry into the inequalities experienced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. I have been invited to speak about my work in the European Parliament and been invited to advise the FRA on their methodologies for researching Roma in the UK. I have led work which has looked at the experience of Housing First, routes out of homelessness, experience of integration and experience of living in poor-quality housing. I have published over 85 outputs for a variety of audiences. I am currently leading a two-year project funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund to look at the Housing Pathways of Refugees in the UK. I have been the Chair of the UK Housing Studies Association 2019-2021
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
I was the Principal Investigator on a project co-financed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF). Under my management the project employed a Knowledge Affiliate to work within the Greater Manchester context (10 x municipalities). To develop the Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network in order to deliver a sustainable whole society response to homelessness in Greater Manchester. This was delivered through the following main objectives:
1. An enhanced co-ordination of services which address homelessness across Greater Manchester.
2. Bringing in the voice of those with lived experience of homelessness to influence service de- livery and design.
3. Co-ordinating and making efficient use of resources to tackle homelessness, identifying new resources and making them accessible to the Homelessness Action Network.
4. Unifying organisations across all sectors (private, public and voluntary/community) around homelessness as a key priority for action.
5. Creating an independent body to address homelessness in Greater Manchester.
Working in partnership with the GMCA I led the team which delivered on these objectives and, through co-production, produced a new body to help guide and review approaches to homelessness in the region. https://www.gmhan.net/ We used large scale meetings, online resources, interviews and policy reviews to provide the evidence needed to inform this development, i oversaw this work
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
In 2017 I led the team which worked with St Mungo’s to conduct research to explore the impact of two of their Housing First services, located in Brighton and Hove and Westminster. Drawing on a Logical Framework evaluation methodology we brought together findings from longitudinal interviews with service users and consultations with staff and wider stakeholders from across both projects, alongside an analysis of project monitoring data. In this study we worked in collaboration with St Mungos, and the accommodation providers, to evaluate the service alongside the Homeless Link guidance on Housing First, drawing on research and best practice from established sources which outlines a set of principles for Housing First. The final report for this evaluation can be found https://www.mungos.org/publication/housing-first-research-full/ This piece of work was developed in order to support St Mungos, and the local authorities of Westminster and Brighton and Hove, to understand the delivery of their current provision and campaign for policy change from national government. See https://www.mungos.org/calling-on-the-government-for-housing-first-not-housing-only/
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
I greatly benefit from being a part of a wide number of networks. In my role as Professor of Housing and Communities at the University of Huddersfield I am connected to a wide-range of academic networks through JISC and other bodies. As a member of the Housing Studies Association I benefit from the close connections to key bodies such as the Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), the Housing Quality Network, the Chartered Institute of Housing and a range of other organisations. As Chair of the Association I am also connected to the UK Academy for Social Sciences which allows for a greater reach and influence to respond to and connect with key policy initiatives at the national level. In addition, I am the member of a wide range of practitioner networks on a spatial level (local fora) and issue based (e.g. migration, homelessness and energy vulnerability). Such networks are home to members from across the EU and wider. I am regularly invited to speak at events and conferences on the topic of urban development. I subscribe to various mailing lists from with the UK – which include information about international policy and funding – and within the EU. Finally, as an active research professor in the area of sustainable urban development I read widely in the academic and non-academic press as part of my role.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
As part of my work on the project Roma MATRIX I was part of the team which had to 1. map and explore existing policies and practice for combating anti-Gypsyism and promoting social inclusion in relation to the four core themes of the project; 2. Consider the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures in combating anti-Gypsyism; 3. Investigate how existing policy and procedural frameworks are operationalised in practice on the ground; and 4. Explore how policies are experienced by organisations supporting and/or representing the interests of Roma. This work was undertaken across ten Member States and we were required to generated comparable data to draw conclusions across agreed thematic areas. This work involved the production of a project plan which was issued to all partners for comment for comparability, we sought engagement with partners to ensure the planned activities were feasible. Following this changes to the plan were made and this was piloted in one of the study areas. Following a period of reflection further refinements were made and the project was delivered. The partners were actively and directly involved in the project as we worked in each country by helping the team gain access to stakeholders and assisting the team in to understand the local policy context. The final project report was issued to stakeholders who were invited to consult and the amendments made as appropriate.
Summary Expertise:
I have extensive experience of working with partners in local authorities and other organisations to support the design and delivery of integrated approaches. Recent experience in Greater Manchester illustrated the opportunity to develop a whole-society approach to homelessness by working with the Mayor’s office to develop an enhanced co-ordination of services embedded with the lived experience of homelessness. Transnational experience in the field of Roma inclusion has illustrated to me the necessity of being context dependent and the need to develop localized approaches to international challenges. Central to all of this work are the development and maintenance of functioning networks and an awareness of priorities and constraints. Working across a series of cross-sectoral networks at the local, national and international level on a small range of diverse but inter-related themes I have retained contemporary familiarity and awareness of current and emerging challenges.
Informations
Residence location:
United Kingdom
Languages:
English - Mother tongue
Email:
p.a.brown@hud.ac.uk