Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science
Dr Andy Russell is a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science and the Director of the Environmental Change and Communities Research Centre at Queen Mary.
Before joining Queen Mary, he worked in several civil service departments, including the Committee on Climate Change, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and the then Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Andy's policy expertise focuses on climate change and its effects on flooding and coastal erosion. He has been involved with multiple policy-engaged projects, which are outlined below.
Andy’s project with the British Academy aimed to bridge the gap between scientific evidence and policymaking by synthesising data on interventions' risks, costs, and benefits. The approach involved conducting interviews and surveys with policymakers and practitioners to understand how they utilise scientific evidence in developing policies and responding to risks.
Andy conducted another research project where he assessed local authorities' management of surface water flooding. The study found that lack of funding, power, and oversight prevented local authorities from managing flood risks effectively. Specifically, he noted that although local authorities are responsible for managing surface water flooding, there is no systematic auditing of their strategies. Andy subsequently raised this gap in local flood risk management strategies with the Committee on Climate Change. Looking to provide tangible solutions, he leveraged Queen Mary Research Student Funds to enlist a Master's student to assess 150 local risk management strategies.
Working with Policy Connect, a cross-party think tank, Andy was involved in their inquiry into flooding and housing issues through contributing to the development of the first two "Bricks and Water" reports on building homes and managing water in England and building resilience for England’s homes. A member of the steering committees for the third report on managing flood risk and accelerating adaptation in a climate emergency, Andy also secured internal funding from Queen Mary to support a policy roundtable, making Queen Mary an official sponsor. During the inquiry, Andy noted that there was a lack of discussion on coastal issues, leading him to propose a PhD studentship as part of the London Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership to research coastal issues related to flooding and housing.
Andy stresses the importance of building networks early, which pays off when you need help or advice down the line and raises your visibility amongst policymakers. Andy’s policy journey involved a lot of cold emailing people he didn't know. By introducing himself to key individuals and getting on people’s radars, government departments would often reach out to him for comments or collaborations when big projects were on the horizon. He also highlights the value of submitting applications to calls and project tenders. In his experience, even unsuccessful applications led to positive outcomes, as he already knew the people and could reach out to them with different project propositions.
A key to success is “just giving stuff a go” and not being afraid to try new things. For example, Andy pursued experiences, such as speaking at roundtable events, that were not entirely his area of expertise but that allowed him to gain new connections. He also suggested that applying for a secondment (read more about Dr Lee Jones’ experience on secondment at the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office) is a great way to meet people.
One of the challenges that Andy has experienced in his academic-policy engagement work is the staff turnover in government departments, which sometimes makes it difficult to maintain contacts and relationships. Another challenge Andy has noted is the decline in in-person events after COVID-19, which were a great way to meet new people and network.
This case study was supported by Audrey Tan (Policy Partnerships Manager, Mile End Institute) and Maja Wawrzynowicz (Policy Associate, Mile End Institute). If you’re interested in learning more about how you can build policy engagement into your own work, check out the Queen Mary Policy Hub’s Learning Resources and Policy Engagement How-To Guides.