Institute of Welsh Affairs

The Institute of Welsh Affairs (also known by the acronym IWA) is an independent charity and membership-based think-tank based in the capital of Wales, Cardiff,
The IWA come up with practical ideas to improve the economy, governance, education, health and media in Wales.
Foundation of the IWA
The origins of the IWA lie in the industrial and political environment in Wales in the 1980s, following the rejection of democratic devolution in the 1979 referendum and the trauma of the miners’ strike of 1984-85.
The Institute of Welsh Affairs was incorporated on 22 July 1987 (Company No: 02151006). It was founded on the strength of a paper written in 1985 by Geraint Talfan Davies, a broadcaster, and Keith James, a Cardiff lawyer. The IWA became registered as a charity on 1 December 1990 (Charity No: 1078435).
Mission & Vision
The IWA's vision is to help create a better Wales where everyone can flourish and act as a catalyst for change.
The IWA provides a platform for intelligent debate and work with their members to generate ideas for practical change.
History
The origins of the IWA lie in the industrial and political crisis that Wales faced in the 1980s, following the rejection of democratic devolution in the 1979 referendum and the trauma of the miners’ strike of 1984-85.
In 1986, a paper produced by TV Executive Geraint Talfan Davies and Cardiff lawyer Keith James set out the case for ‘a body that can provide a regular intellectual challenge to current practice in all those spheres of Welsh life and administration that impact on our industrial and economic performance’. An initial £50,000 grant was provided by the Welsh Development Agency Chief Executive David Waterstone, and the Institute was incorporated on 22 July 1987.
The IWA’s first Chairman was Henry Kroch, President of AB Electronics; his Deputy Chairman was Sir Donald Walters, a prominent lawyer and businessman. Its Board of Trustees has always been drawn from across the full spectrum of civil society.
The think-tank was established as - and remains - an independent charity owing no allegiance to any political or economic interest group, and was the first think tank to develop on the basis of a membership model.
Until 1996 the IWA functioned as a purely voluntary body under the chairmanship of Geraint Talfan Davies. However, with a combination of funding from the WDA, the Hyder group and Sir Julian Hodge, the IWA was able to appoint a full-time Director that year. Journalist John Osmond oversaw the production of the IWA’s well-respected journal, Agenda, and a prodigious output of research and analysis.
Over the next decade and a half the IWA:
* Helped make the intellectual case for the creation of a Welsh Assembly, and having helped secure its establishment, monitored its development and supported its growth
* Made public the case for EU Objective 1 status for a large part of Wales, helping secure hundreds of millions of pounds of additional investment from the EU
* Campaigned successfully for the introduction of a Welsh Baccalaureate to re-shape the curriculum for 16-19 year olds and to raise standards and improve educational performance
* Established an argument for a performing arts centre in Cardiff, leading to the building of the Wales Millennium Centre, transforming the cultural landscape in Wales and giving Wales an important international platform
* Made the case, through publications and public debate, for the adoption of the city region concept, now a key part of Welsh Government policy
* The IWA developed a track record as a credible source of independent research and analysis, and a history of public engagement on issues affecting the cultural, social, political and economic well being of Wales
Despite having a small staff the IWA generated a constant flow of conferences, seminars and research reports.
In 2008 the IWA launched the Click on Wales comment and analysis site which has become the main portal for quality discussion about public policy in Wales.
In April 2013, John Osmond was succeeded as Director by Lee Waters, who had previously run the environmental charity Sustrans Cymru and had been Chief Political Correspondent for ITV Wales. A year later the founder of the successful Cardiff-based law-firm NewLaw, Helen Molyneux, was appointed Chair.
The independent charity and think tank underwent a period of reflection and rebranding between 2014-2016. After a consultation with its members the IWA developed a new strategy which saw the charity narrow its focus to developing practical ideas for long-term change in four priority areas: the economy, education, health, and governance & the media.
The strategy refresh and re-branding work culminated in the launch of a new online presence in 2016. The new website integrates the IWA’s popular Click on Wales comment and analysis platform, and provides free open access to all the IWA’s reports, podcasts and latest news.
The think-tank has pioneered the application of crowdsourcing techniques to policy development with three innovative projects - including an ambitious online Constitutional Convention for Wales which saw 12,000 people engage with a debate on the future of the UK in the aftermath of the Scottish independence referendum, and the Let’s talk cancer project - run in partnership with Tenovus Cancer Care - which developed the first hand experiences of patients into practical proposals for reform.
The 2015 Wales Media Audit, which followed a similar assessment of the media landscape in 2008, sparked a debate about the visibility of Wales in the media and the way it is portrayed and governed. It informed reports by the National Assembly and House of Commons and continues to inform the ongoing BBC Charter renewal.
The IWA’s report on the economy in March 2015 was the most comprehensive study of the state of the Welsh economy since devolution. It set out the scale of the challenge to closing the wealth gap with the rest of the UK. Its recommendations for game-changing projects to stimulate growth included harnessing Wales’ natural resources by becoming a net exporter of renewable energy. This has formed the basis on the IWA’s latest project, Re-energising Wales, which looks to provide a practical blueprint for making Wales a net exporter of renewable energy.
Organisation
The IWA is a membership based organisation, offering individual and corporate memberships, as well as fellowships.

Fellowships are a category of membership created to recognise those who are making significant contributions to civil society in Wales in their fields of expertise. Fellows of the IWA want to do more than simply keep abreast of what is going on in Wales. They place a high value on its work in strengthening Welsh civil society and have expertise to contribute to the IWA and its work in helping Wales to flourish. They believe strongly in helping the IWA to maintain its independence.
Over recent years, the IWA have introduced honorary Life Fellowships which recognise individuals making an exceptional contribution to making Wales better.
The IWA is governed by a Board of Trustees. Its first chairman was Henry Kroch, then chairman of AB Electronics. Between 1992 and 2014, the chairman was Geraint Talfan Davies. Since March 2014, the chairman has been solicitor and entrepreneur Helen Molyneux.
Between 1996 and 2013 the director of the organisation was former journalist and television producer, John Osmond. From April 2013 until May 2016, the director was former political aide and journalist, Lee Waters. Lee was elected as Labour's Welsh Assembly member for Llanelli in May 2016, and was succeeded by Acting Director, Jessica Blair, until Auriol Miller, former Director of Cymorth Cymru, took up the role of IWA Director in November 2016.
A current list of board members is available on the IWA website and the Charity Commission register.
The IWA has members across Wales and networks are being reinvigorated in north Wales, Cardigan Bay and Swansea Bay. These networks are run by volunteers and from time to time arrange events that are of interest to IWA members in their areas.
Publications
The IWA’s publications represent 30 years of work to make Wales better, producing a substantive body of research in a number of fields; primarily education, health, the economy and governance. All of the IWA’s publications (bar the two most recent editions of the welsh agenda) are free to download on the IWA website.
Events
One of the IWA’s main activities is holding events which are designed to disseminate information to the public on public policy issues related to its key themes of the economy, education, governance, health and social care, and the media in Wales.
Key themes
Devolution
During the late 1990s, issues relating to devolution formed a major part in the IWA's agenda. It produced reports on the conduct of the referendum, suggested many amendments to the Government of Wales Act . It also published reports on the relationship between devolution and economic development, and on the issue of housing the Assembly. The IWA has continued to influence the devolution agenda in Wales; by providing evidence to inform the 2006 Government of Wales Act, the Silk Commission on Devolution in Wales, and the 2016 Wales Bill.
Crowdsourcing
The think-tank has pioneered the application of crowdsourcing techniques to policy development with three innovative projects - including an ambitious online Constitutional Convention for Wales which saw 12,000 people engage with a debate on the future of the UK in the aftermath of the Scottish independence referendum, and the Let’s talk cancer project - run in partnership with Tenovus Cancer Care - which developed the first hand experiences of patients into practical proposals for reform.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu