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Since the formal establishment of IVAR in spring 2006 we have published four reports:

The impact of recent policy changes on volunteering in community-based organisations, in partnership with the Institute for Volunteering Research

'Exploring the advocay role of community anchor organisations'

'Making it Real. A report of the partnership improvement programme with voluntary and community organisations and local authorities'

'Servants of the Community or Agents of Government? The role of community-based organisations and their contribution to public services delivery and civil renewal'
(Exec.Summary)

ACVAR Publications

Ben Cairns, Professor Margaret Harris and colleagues have previously produced a number of publications based on action research projects carried out at the Aston Centre for Voluntary Action Research. You can find them in our Archive.

Journal Papers

Harris M, Cairns B. and Hutchison R. ‘Sharing God’s Love or Meeting Government Goals? Local Churches and Public Policy Implementation’ Policy and Politics 35,3 413-432 2007

Cairns B., Harris M. and Young P. 'Building the Capacity of the Voluntary Nonprofit Sector: Challenges of Theory and Practice' International Journal of Public Administration, 2005, 28, 869-885

Harris M, Cairns B. and Hutchison R. 'So many tiers, so many agendas, so many pots of money: The Challenge of Regionalisation for Voluntary and Community Organisations' Social Policy and Administration, 2004, 38(5) 525-40

Harris M, Hutchison R. and Cairns B. 'Community-Wide Planning for Faith-Based Service Provision: Practical, Policy and Conceptual Challenges' Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 2005, 34(1), 88-109

Cairns B. Harris M., Hutchison R. and Tricker M. 'Improving performance? The Adoption and Implementation of Quality Systems in UK Nonprofits' Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 2005, 16(2), 135-151

Book Chapters

Cairns B., Carroll M. and Harris M. 'Action Research: Professional Researchers in the Community' in Handbook of Community Movements and Local Organizations
Cnaan, Ram R.A.; Milofsky, Carl (Eds.) 2007, ISBN: 0-387-32932-3

Other recent publications by staff and associates

M. Harris, The Place of Self and Reflexivity in Third Sector Scholarship: An Exploration’ Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 30,4 2001 747-760

M. Harris, ‘This Charity Business: Who Cares?’ Nonprofit Management and Leadership 12, 1 2001, 95-109

M. Harris, ‘Organising Modern Synagogues: A Case of Multiple Models’ European Judaism 34,2 , 2001 123-131

M. Harris, J. Harris ‘Achieving Organisational Collaboration in the Nonprofit Sector: An Action Research Approach’ 2002 Organization Development Journal 20,1 28-35

‘Civil Society and the Role of UK Churches: An Exploration’ Studies in Christian Ethics 2002 15,2, 45-59

M. Harris, J. Harris, R. Hutchison and C. Rochester, ‘Merger in the British Voluntary Sector: The Example of HIV/AIDS Agencies’ Social Policy and Administration, 36,3 2002 291-305

M. Harris, P. Halfpenny and C. Rochester, ‘An Expanded Role for Faith-Based Organisations? Lessons from the UK Jewish Voluntary Sector’ Journal of Social Policy 32,1 2003 93-112

Mike Aiken

Aiken, M. & Holden, P. (2007) ‘Changing places or learning to tango? Values and brands in transition in the for-profit and not-for profit sectors’, 6th International Colloquium on Nonprofit, Social and Arts Marketing London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London SE1 6SB, Friday 7th, September 2007.

Aiken, M. & Slater, R. (2007) ‘Feeling the squeeze? Tabbies or tigers: the case of social enterprises contracting in the fields of recycling and work integration’, 4th Annual UK Social Enterprise Research Conference , London South Bank University London, 4-5th July 2007
http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/bcim/cgcm/conferences/serc/2007/papers.shtml

Aiken, M.(2007) ‘Social Enterprises in Great Britain: pro-employment function of the Third Sector’, Trzeci Sektor, Poland: 2007: 9.

Aiken, M. (2007) ‘Contracting with the private sector for services: new challenges for the third sector?’ Voluntary Sector Studies Group (VSSN) Day Conference Wed 16th May 2006, at South Bank University, London, (paper available from June 2007 at http://technology.open.ac.uk/cru/publicatold.htm).

Aiken, M. (2007) ‘Work Integration Organisations’, Presentation at Social Enterprise Journal Launch, Social Enterprise London, 1 Downstream Building, London, Friday 30th March 2007.

Aiken, M. (2007) ‘UK: Strukturen und Entwicklungstendenzen/ Structure and development trends in the UK policy on work integration’ Aktiv Arbeitsmarktpolitik und Überwindung sozialer Ausgrenzung - Ëuropäische Politikstrategien und Bewertungsmethode EMDELA dissemination conference, Zoom E.V.& Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, 1-2nd March, 2007 Giessen, Germany.

Aiken, M. (2007) ‘Central Targets or Local Planning: changing dynamics for staturory and voluntary organisations collaborating at the local level’ invited speaker, paper presented at the Birkbeck-IVAR Partnership 2007 Seminar Series ‘Community Organisations: Research, Policy and Practice’ Seminar One, 24th January 2007, MCA, Euston Street, London NW1.

Aiken, M. (2007) Book review of Cato, S.M. (2006) ‘Market Schmarket: building the post-capitalist economy’, Cheltenham: New Clarion Press, Journal of Co-operative Studies, March 2007, 118 40:1.

Aiken, M. (2007) ‘Local decentralisation: the EMDELA research report from the UK case’ available in June 07 at http://technology.open.ac.uk/cru/publicatold.htm
Aiken, M. & Bode, I. (forthcoming, 2007) Killing the Golden Goose? Third Sector Organisations and Back-to-work programmes in Germany and the UK.’

Jane Andrews

Andrews J. (2003). ‘Wheeling Uphill? Reflections on Practice and Methodological Difficulties Encountered in Researching the Experiences of Disabled Volunteers’. Disability & Society. 20. 2. pp 201-212.

Andrews J. (2005) ‘Altruism or Self-Actualisation? Disabled Volunteers’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Volunteering’. Journal of Volunteer Administration. 23. 4. 16-22.

Andrews J. & Harris M (2006). ‘Lecture Content and Context: Purely Academic or Theoretically Relevant and Useful? An Evaluation of M704 – Managing Organisational Change in the Public Sector: Part I’. The Good Practice Guide. Birmingham. Aston University.

Andrews J. (2007). ‘Working with Volunteers in Sport: Theory and Practice, by Graham Cuskelly, Russell Hoye and Chris Auld. 2006: Book Review’. Journal of Sports Science. 2. (accepted for publication in issue 2 – further details not yet known)

Andrews J. & Higson H. (2007) ‘Modelling Business Graduate Employability: Developing a New Conceptual Framework through Empirical Research’. In Remenyi D. (ed) ECRM 2007: 6th European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies’. pp 1-10. Reading. Academic Conferences. ISBN 978-1-905305-51-3.

Andrews J. & Higson H. (2007). ‘The MISLEM Project: Education, Employment and Graduate Employability: Project Manual. Birmingham. Aston University. ISBN. 978 1 85449 441 2. Published on behalf of European Union, Leonardo Da Vinci Programme.

Last updated: 22 May 2008