The further education (FE) sector is considered vital to the economic security of the UK and key to improving productivity and delivering employment-ready skills for labour markets. FE is also seen as playing a key role in enhancing social justice and promoting social mobility by providing 'second chances' for adult learners (BIS 2015a). Yet FE is widely seen to be underperforming and is currently undergoing extensive restructuring leading to fewer, larger colleges offering increased efficiency and resilience. While rationalisation/merger is a common theme across the UK, this is taking place within an increasingly divergent policy context with key differences in institutional autonomy and funding mechanisms in the 4 UK nations. Such processes can be expected to foster fundamental change which has considerable implications for leadership and governance of colleges. Recognition of the importance of effective governance is evident in the introduction of codes of good governance in England, Wales and Scotland. Yet governance has also been found wanting with many examples of mismanagement attributed to its failures (e.g BIS 2015c, Scottish Government 2016). Much of this can be put down to a lack of understanding by colleges and boards themselves of what governance is or the communicative practices by which it is enacted. Governance is undertheorised with research focusing on structures and procedures in terms of the formal constitution of entities providing accountability mechanisms while little is known about the processes and practices of governing, and relationships between governance, leadership and organisational aims/outcomes. If effective governance is seen as key to securing improvement in FE then better understanding of the processes and practices by which this occurs is imperative. This makes the proposal here both highly significant and timely. The proposed research constitutes an in-depth empirical study of the processes and practices of governing boards in FE colleges in the 4 UK nations leading to knowledge about how boards function in realising the strategic aims of the organisation. This knowledge will be of benefit beyond FE, informing governance in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. We will do this through a highly innovative approach which synthesises two important theoretical strands. First, we draw on a prevalent trend in organisational theorising which views organisations as being constituted through communication ('Communicative Constitution of Organisation', Cooren et al 2011). While offering great utility, this approach has been criticised for its lack of attention to the power/political discourse dimension, in particular to a consideration of the external/policy contexts which serve to position organisations. We therefore augment CCO with social theory (Bourdieu) to examine boards in relation to these complex factors. FE in the UK operates in 4 distinct, though highly interdependent, policy contexts. Hence the UK constitutes a unique crucible for testing the influence of national/local policy contexts on governing. Through an in-depth study of boards in relation to these contexts we will gain insight into the complex processes by which boards are positioned within their respective fields of policy and practice. The research question is: How do processes and practices of governing enable organisations to realise their strategic aims and outcomes? We consider how local/national policy serves to position governing boards within the 4 UK nations; how this positioning influences the performance of boards and enactment of governance; ways in which boards negotiate the tensions and complexities within the FE/skills sector to arrive at 'coherent strategy'; the relationship between the board, leadership and management; and we consider what kind/s of organisation is/are constructed through processes and practices of governing in these different contexts.

Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. The more we ignore the climate emergency the bigger the impact will be on health and the need for care with poor environmental health contributing to major diseases, including cardiac problems, asthma and cancer. Many of the actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change and improve environmental sustainability also have positive health benefits; the Lancet Commission has described tackling climate change as "the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century". The challenges faced present an incredible opportunity to do things differently - to take a design-led approach in designing and making through high-reward demonstrator projects to help transform the health ecosystem. Through wider public engagement we aim to advance societal understanding of design's impact, and the opportunities, barriers, behaviour changes and tools needed to transition to a green approach. This research will unite a wide range of disciplines, research organisations, regional and local industry, and other public sector stakeholders, with policy-makers. The Design HOPES Green Transition Ecosystem (GTE) Hub will sustain a phased long-term investment to embed design-led innovation, circularity, sustainability and impact for the changing market, across product, service, strategy, policy and social drivers to evolve future design outcomes that matter to the people and planet. Our research is organised around seven core Thematic Workstreams, based on the NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy (2022-2026). Design HOPES will be delivered and managed by interdisciplinary teams with significant expertise in design and making, co-creation, health and social care, with professionals with a sustainability remit, and businesses working in the design economy. Design HOPES encompasses a rich disciplinary mix of knowledge, skills, and expertise from a range of design disciplines (i.e., product, textile, interaction, games, architecture etc.) and other disciplines (computer science, health and wellbeing, geography, engineering, etc.) that will be focused on people and planet (including all living things), from the micro to macro, from root cause to hopeful vision, from the present to the future, and from the personal to the wider system. Design HOPES will design and make things and test them to see how they work, which will help more ideas and things emerge. The Hub will be an inclusive, safe, collaborative space that will bring in multiple and marginalised perspectives and view its projects as one part of a wider movement for transformational change whilst not overlooking existing assets and how we can re-use, nurture and develop these sustainably. Design HOPES aims to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence, promoting and embedding best practice through our collaborative design-led thinking and making approaches to build a more equitable and sustainable health and social care system. We will create new opportunities to support both existing services and new design-led health innovations in collaboration with NHS Boards across Scotland, the Scottish Government, patient and public representatives, health and social care partners, the third sector, academia and industry. Our seven Thematic Workstreams and associated projects will deliver a rich mix of tangible outcomes such as new innovative products, services, and policies (e.g., sustainable theatre consumables, packaging, clothing, waste services, etc.) during the funded period. With award-winning commercialisation and entrepreneurial support from the collaborating universities, we will also look to create new "green' enterprises and businesses. We will achieve this internationally recognised centre of excellence using design-led thinking and making to build a more equitable and sustainable health and social care system.