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6. Conclusions and recommendations
Conclusions
6.1 The operation has been delivered against a challenging backdrop. Launched in August 2019, the Legal Lab has been impacted directly by the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions and challenges for both individuals and organisations. The pandemic also influenced working patterns and expectations, with implications for the operation as it was established and subsequently sought to progress and accelerate delivery. 6.2 In this context, the findings of this Final Evaluation of the LILW operation are positive overall. The operation has leveraged effectively and developed further, the expertise, experience and profile of the Swansea University School of Law, to pursue world-leading research and secure competitive research income across the LegalTech and Cyber Threats disciplines. The Lab has successfully constructed and fit-out the LegalTech, Cyber Threats and Law Clinic facilities, established research teams with relevant specialisms in both research areas, and undertaken engagement and dissemination activities with a wide range of stakeholders. 6.3 Crucially, the operation has made a positive contribution to research activity. This includes in terms of securing research income – demonstrating strong progress against Specific Objective 1.1 to increase the success of Welsh research institutions in attracting competitive and private research funding, with £2.7m of research secured by January 2023 – and more broadly around the capacity, scope and quality of Legal Tech and Cyber Threats research in Swansea. The Evaluation also identified a range of wider benefits in relation to enhanced knowledge/understanding, collaborative behaviours, and progressing the development of new technological applications with the potential to generate material social, business and economic benefits in future, that would not have been realised without intervention. 6.4 Underpinning this positive performance, the operation has been managed well. Consultations suggest that strong project management and administration support was evident throughout the delivery of the operation. There was a change in Project Manager during the latter half of the operation which represented a risk to the operation, however, this handover was well-handled, and did not have an adverse impact on progress. Monitoring and reporting processes have been implemented effectively overall. However, there was scope for better collection of data on the wider benefits of the LILW outside of formal ERDF indicators. The operation sought to implement the use of an online form to staff every six weeks, but the quality and coverage of the material provided in response was very varied and not comprehensive.
Legal Innovation Lab Wales
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