The Institute for Government is the UK’s leading independent think tank working to make government better through in-depth research and analysis, open discussion and fresh thinking.
We work with all political parties and with civil servants in Westminster and across the UK to improve the capability of government, providing new, evidence-based ideas through research, events and leadership development.
Good government is one of the most important factors driving the UK’s social and economic performance and the health of its democracy. The sheer scale of today’s social, economic and political challenges threatens public trust in institutions and demands ever more capable leadership from those in government.
Based in the heart of Westminster, the Institute’s team comprises nearly 60 staff. Roughly two thirds belong to our research teams, and they are supported by communications, partnerships and operations teams.
The IfG is a registered charity, and non-partisan in its approach. The organisation’s major funder is the Gatsby Charitable Foundation which provides some 80% of its core funding. Our partnerships team seeks additional funding for the work programme developed by the research leads, including from corporate sources, research councils and trusts. This helps keep our research work relevant and builds our knowledge and networks.
Strategy and Priorities for 2025/26
The coming year will be crucial for UK government – with new policies entering their delivery phase, public services adjusting to new spending provision and new approaches to governing starting to take root.
In 2025, our work is looking at how the state can work better to tangibly improve the lives of people across the UK and build confidence and trust in government. We are focusing on:
- Reform of public services and institutions to better serve the public;
- Putting power and money in the places that will deliver the best outcomes;
- Building better tools and approaches for leadership and policy-making;
- Tackling the long-term challenges facing the UK.
We are developing innovative new ideas for change that are rooted in an understanding of frontline services, local context and the public’s experience, including:
- New work looking at the relationship between the effectiveness of the civil service and the ability of government to deliver its objectives.
- A series of projects on the best options for public service reform – building on our work on prevention – including looking at what it means to take a place-based approach to public services.
- New projects that are generating options for reform on some of the major challenges facing the government – from public sector pay and what can be done on recruitment, retention and motivation, to how government can tackle the huge challenge of rising illness-related inactivity and incapacity in the workforce.
- We have launched a new ‘Devo Lab’ – events and case studies on topics including skills, regeneration and growth, shining a light on innovative practices and sharing lessons between local areas about what works.
- A series looking at groups of people who have been under-served by the state, bringing together policy makers and practitioners to develop propositions for reform. We’re focusing on groups important to the delivery of the government’s missions – including cohorts of children left behind by early years policy.
- And through our IfG Academy, we are expanding our ambitious programme of professional development and support for decision makers working at the heart of government.