Forces in Mind Trust has awarded £216,775 to RAND Europe, Shared Intelligence and Meri Mayhew Consulting to develop a detailed understanding of how the Armed Forces Covenant is delivered in Northern Ireland and identify opportunities to strengthen support for the Armed Forces community.
The Armed Forces Covenant is the nation’s commitment that no member of the Armed Forces community should face disadvantage due to their service.
Whilst the Covenant is a cornerstone of how we support the Armed Forces community, research into how it is delivered has rarely included Northern Ireland, resulting in less evidence about how organisations work together to deliver the Covenant in practice, what works well, and where there may be opportunities to strengthen support.
The Armed Forces community in Northern Ireland has a distinct historical and security context which can shape their experiences and the organisations that support them. Dedicated research is therefore needed to understand how the Covenant operates in that context.
The 18-month project will expand research into the Covenant already done in England, Wales and Scotland to Northern Ireland.
Understanding the Covenant in Northern Ireland
Researchers will work with local stakeholders throughout the project, using a collaborative approach to allow the research to respond to local knowledge and context.
The four main initial objectives of the project are to:
- Build a detailed picture of the environment in which the Covenant and wider support for the Armed Forces community are delivered in Northern Ireland.
- Improve understanding of the structures, arrangements and ways of working that underpin that support.
- Examine how statutory and non-statutory organisations work together, and what enables and constrains these collaborations.
- Identify good practice, lessons learned and opportunities for strengthening the Covenant and wider support to the Armed Forces community in Northern Ireland.
This research will provide policymakers, service providers and other stakeholders with stronger evidence about how the Covenant is working in Northern Ireland and where support for the Armed Forces community could be strengthened.
David Johnstone, Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner, said,
“I would like to commend Forces in Mind Trust, in conjunction with RAND Europe, for their commitment to researching a detailed understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland. As Veterans Commissioner, I am determined to see the full implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant. Whilst it is encouraging to reflect on the tangible progress made since the Northern Ireland Assembly passed the motion to adopt the Covenant last year, there are still gaps to address, and it is my hope that this project will assist in further identifying those gaps, thus ensuring that no serving member of the Armed Forces or veteran living in Northern Ireland is disadvantaged because of their service.”
Lin Slapakova, Research Leader at RAND Europe, said,
“Northern Ireland’s Armed Forces community faces a distinct set of circumstances — from its history and security context to how public services are structured and delivered. We’re pleased to be working with Forces in Mind Trust, alongside Shared Intelligence and Meri Mayhew Consulting, to build the first dedicated evidence base on Covenant delivery in Northern Ireland, working closely with local stakeholders including the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner’s Office to ensure the findings are grounded, credible and genuinely useful for improving support in practice.”
Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said,
“The Armed Forces Covenant provides a shared framework for how we support the Armed Forces community. Its expansion in recent years, including the introduction of a formal legal duty, has made it more important than ever that we understand how the Covenant works in practice. Northern Ireland has a distinct context, and we need evidence that reflects that. We are delighted to fund this project to ensure a clearer understanding of how the Covenant is delivered to underpin better delivery for the Armed Forces community in Northern Ireland.”
