The Productivity Commission is the policy arm of The Productivity Institute and regularly meets to discuss ongoing policy questions throughout the UK.
It is an independent academic forum for the development of research-based policies and a focal point for Whitehall initiatives. We aim to develop and support a new constituency to support the national debate on productivity and promoting robust and consistent policies to address the UK’s chronic productivity shortfall.
The Commission aims to understand the policy implications of research produced by The Productivity Institute and elsewhere, as well as develop strong institutional links with government and other national bodies. It was launched on 16 September, 2021 by our partner NIESR.
The first evidence review can be accessed on NIESR’s website.
The publication UK Productivity Commission Priorities for 2023 was released on 19 January 2023, which sets out some questions for the year, with particular focus on investment.
The Commissioners are:
Professor Jagjit Chadha NIESR (chair)
Professor Bart van Ark The University of Manchester
Professor Alan Barrett Economic and Social Research Institute
Professor Gillian Bristow University of Cardiff
Professor Diane Coyle Bennett Institute of Public Policy, Cambridge
Professor Eileen Harkin-Jones Ulster University
Rachel Lomax Formerly HMT and BoE
Stephen Millard NIESR
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli University of Glasgow
Professor Adrian Pabst NIESR
Dr. Dirk Pilat
Professor Sir Chris Pissarides London School of Economics
Professor Tony Venables University of Manchester
Professor Jackie Wahba University of Southampton
Professor Stian Westlake Royal Statistical Society
Professor Andy Westwood University of Manchester
Professor Cecilia Wong University of Manchester
Over the next three years, The Commission will hold evidence sessions that focus on specific policy issues. A report containing suggestions to the Government for how the UK can improve its productivity will be published after the evidence sessions. The Commission will also examine different ways to hear from productivity experts, such as presentations from authors of policy papers and the various productivity boards around the world.
More information on how to get involved can be found through our partner NIESR.
The forums are involved in the implementation of research insights, the design of practical business and policy interventions, and in providing input to the development of the Institute’s future research agenda.
Their members include stakeholders from policy community and business leaders from local, national and multinational enterprises. Each Regional Productivity Forum is chaired by a regional business leader and supported by a Regional Forum Lead from each of the partner universities.
The eight Forums are based in:
