Policybrief is a co-operative web project to provide a 'one-stop-shop' for all public policy initiatives in the UK. Working with the leading UK think tanks and independent policy institutes across the political spectrum, this service has been developed by Poptel - the UK's largest co-operative Internet company.
Visitors to the Policybrief website can:
- view comprehensive subject-based listings of the UK's leading policy thinkers' work
- subscribe to regular subject-based e-mail bulletins
- find links to other websites relating to Policybrief material
- download selected documents in full
- purchase copy-protected digital versions of documents
All of the information in Policybrief is contributed entirely by the policy organisations participating in the project. They are able to add their information using a simple but secure web-based submission form.
The 'founding partners' - the independent policy institutes who have collectively developed this service are:
- Adam Smith Institute
- Catalyst
- Centre for European Reform
- Centre for Policy Studies
- Centre for Reform
- Demos
- Fabian Society
- Foreign Policy Centre
- IPPR
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- New Local Government Network
- Policy Network
- Policy Studies Institute
- Politeia
- Smith Institute
- Social Market Foundation
In addition, Policybrief has active support from the Local Government Association.
It has grown out of discussions with Nexus, an organisation established as an 'electronic umbrella structure' within which individuals from a range of organisations could communicate and co-ordinate, and through which the public profile and influence of their ideas and work would be increased.
Policybrief is politically neutral and inclusive. It provides a means by which high-quality policy-based content can quickly reach a carefully targeted audience.
Poptel is proud to be involved in the Policybrief project. We are an employee-owned
co-operative with a commitment to 'Social Enterprise' - trading for a social
purpose.
The Policybrief project meets Poptel's social aims in a number of ways.
- promotes use of the Internet to improve the standard of policymaking in an open and inclusive manner
- provides a complex and comprehensive technical infrastructure - free of charge - to participating independant policy institutes
- removes technical and financial obstacles to organisations wishing to market, publish and archive policy work on the Internet
- offers a means by which policy institutes can collaborate with each other in a constructive manner - while continuing to compete in the battle of ideas
- has a co-operative structure of it's own: ownership of the Policybrief project will be held jointly by the participants and by Poptel - itself a co-operative venture
For more information on Policybrief please see our FAQ