Local Government Operational Research Unit (LGORU)

The archive comprises printed reports and pamphlets, 1960-1989. This collection forms part of the Operational Research and Operational Research Society Archive, which was deposited with the Centre by operational research practitioners.

The objectives of the Local Government Operational Research Unit, which was established on 1 April 1965, were (i) to undertake studies by operational research methods to assist local authorities in their policy and management decisions; (ii) to make known the results of those studies as widely and as quickly as possible, and to give assistance to the authorities who wish to introduce them; and (iii) to co-operate with other research associations in fields related to local government services. The Unit was part of the Royal Institute of Public Administration and, for administrative purposes, was the responsibility of the Institute's Executive Council. The Executive Council appointed a Board to determine the principles on which the research programme was to be developed, and to advise it on matters relating to the administration of the Unit, including its finances. The members of the Board were representative of the authorities supporting the Unit. The Unit became the Royal Institute of Public Administration Consultancy Services (RIPACS) with the Health Operational Research Unit (formerly RIPA-NHS ORG, 1972-84) in 1985. RIPACS ended, however, in 1988 due to the financial difficulties then experienced by the Royal Institute of Public Administration.

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

The archive was deposited with the Modern Records Centre in September 1994.

Link to full catalogue: http://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/LGO

There are no restrictions on the use of this archive, apart from the requirements of copyright law.

This collection has been weeded for duplicates.

Further deposits are not expected.

The Centre holds the following other collections relating to the history, development and practice of operational research and to pioneers and practitioners in this field (collectively known as the Operational Research Archive): British European Airways: Operational Research Branch (MSS.335/AI/1); British Overseas Airways Corporation: Operational Research Branch (MSS.335/AI/2); British Steel Operational Research papers and Memoranda (MSS.335/BS); the Papers of Professor Stephen Cook (MSS.335/CK); the Community Operational Research Unit (MSS.335/COR); the East Midlands Operational Research Group (MSS.335/EMORG); Papers of the Fellowship for Operational Research (MSS.335/FOR); papers for British Gas Operational Research (MSS.335/GA); British Gas North West Operational Research Reports (MSS.335/GA/NW); GKN Operational Research Reports (MSS.335/GKN); Fellowship for Operational Research (MSS.335/FOR); International Federation of Operational Research Societies (MSS.335/IFORS); Interviews with Operational Research Pioneers and Related Papers (MSS.335/INT); the Institute for Operational Research (MSS.335/IOR); Miscellaneous and Fragmentary Operational Research Papers (MSS.335/MIS); Operational Analysis Branch, NATO (MSS.335/OAB); Draft Obituaries of Operational Research Practitioners (MSS.335/OBIT); the Papers of Jack Plymen (MSS.335/PLY); the Papers of Professor K. Brian Haley relating to Operational Research Quarterly (MSS.335/SO/H); the Papers of Rolphe C. Tomlinson (MSS.335/TOM); and the Papers of Dr Edward D. van Rest (MSS.335/VR).