Last summer, I completed my Leadership-In-Action project with the Social Mobility Commission (SMC). Over six weeks, I learned that social mobility in the UK is far from abstract. It is brought to life by the dedicated work of the team I was fortunate to join, and it is through their guidance I was able to deepen my understanding of what social mobility really means. I came away with a fuller picture of how class, opportunity and inequality intersect, and the potential policies that can bring them together. 

The SMC is an independent statutory body, created by an Act of Parliament and run by appointed commissioners since its conception in 2010. The team is small, around 20 civil servants, and their work is highly specialised and specific, concentrating on improving access to education, work, and training across the UK. I was placed in the Evidence and Analysis (E&A) team, joining six data science and research specialists. From my introduction, I came to think of them as the foundation from which the stakeholder, policy and comms teams could grow, as our job was to make sure everything the SMC did was backed by thorough research. 

Research is a key function of the SMC, as they are responsible for a mandated annual report - the ‘State of the Nation’ (SON)- which sets out the current work and progress surrounding social mobility each year. The most recent edition was published in September, and offers the most comprehensive summary of social mobility statistics in the UK, as well as an extensive review of different indicators and outcomes. The SMC also has an advisory role, offering support to ministers at their request, and has a broad responsibility for educating and promoting awareness of the issues they address. 

I spent the majority of my time with the E&A team conducting my own research, although I was able to contribute to broader projects like the SON and analysing focus groups. It was a daunting task- a 15 page report that would serve as a basis for further research left completely in my hands. The topic I chose to pursue was at the direction of the commissioners, who expressed their interest in exploring a Universal Basic Income (UBI). My report, therefore, was a 5000 word summary of all existing UBI trials, their findings, and my own analysis of their application for the UK and social mobility. 

The first week was tough. I spent much of it crouched over a desk, flicking through Alaskan dividend funds and French economics papers, trying to assess their relevance for the UK. At the same time, I was balancing getting to know the inner workings of the SMC, trying my hand at coding for data analysis under the tutelage of my line manager, Matthew. In my SMART goals, I had committed to learning more quantitative research skills to grow my confidence as a researcher, and I was lucky to do so within the SMC. One highlight was being able to code, with (a lot of) help from Matthew, a digital information graph that displayed geographic information about educational opportunity, which was later uploaded on the SMC website. 

The most challenging part of the placement was the project management, although the only person I had responsibility for was myself. By my second week, I had a detailed timeline of deliverables for my report, giving myself deadlines for each section to be written. Adhering to my self-imposed guide was difficult, and it required dedication to stay on task. What helped, however, was my genuine interest in a Universal Basic Income, and how it can work to improve inequality. Yet, it still took a lot of emotional resilience to make sure I completed my project on time, and to not be discouraged by setbacks. 

By week six, my report was written, my findings summarised into a PowerPoint waiting to be presented to the SMC team and the commissioners. I had developed a detailed framework, assessing each case study against four indicators for social mobility. I judged a potential Universal Basic Income against poverty levels, educational outcomes, work opportunities and social capital, finding that the results were mixed across each area. The most consistent, however, was that a UBI consistently and significantly reduced child poverty in every place it was implemented. 

The short-term impact of my project was largely informational, as I helped the SMC commissioners develop their own understanding of UBI and social mobility through my presentation and my writing. But, the long-term impact could have much stronger implications for policy. The E&A team confirmed that should the commissioners look to develop research into UBI further, my report will serve as the basis for their continuing analysis. It is an incredible privilege to contribute to government policy, especially as it may become a real recommendation to a future government. 

Alongside my report, I was exposed to the ins and outs of life as a civil servant. I attended select committee hearings, met with members of the House of Lords, even participated in a conference open to the entire civil service. I met a number of amazing people, who were all cogs in a policy machine that seeks to make the government work for the people. Through meeting such a diverse range of civil servants, I learned that working in government does require a compromise. Not every policy will be one you agree with, and not every initiative will align with your personal values. It requires strength and a high degree of emotional control to do the job to the best of your abilities, knowing it may be in conflict with what you believe. I felt very fortunate to be in a department where the policies and attitudes were compatible with my own: a belief in equality of opportunity for all.