As a new government gets to work, we’re looking at successful past policies from across the globe and what UK policymakers can learn from them as part of our event series: how to make good things happen.

As the UK shut down in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the furlough scheme provided a lifeline for millions of workers up and down the country. Designed to provide cover for those unable to work during lockdown, it protected incomes across the UK and enabled the economy to restart once restrictions were lifted. Through effective policy design and data implementation, it was able to pay the salaries of 11 million workers and protect 3.25 million jobs. What lessons can we learn from the UK furlough scheme?

On Tuesday 4 February 9:30-10:30, Nesta's chief economist Tim Leunig, the inventor of furlough, will lead a session on the reasons behind the scheme's success. Tim and Ravi Gurumurthy, CEO of Nesta and BIT, will explore key lessons on the design and implementation of this scheme. We’ll hear about the conception of furlough, the importance of robust data for effective implementation and how to effectively design policies that target the right groups – ensuring support reaches those in need while minimising misuse.

This discussion will also focus on how these principles can be applied universally to other policy areas and global challenges, demonstrating how well-designed interventions can be adapted to different contexts and needs.

Ideal for policymakers, civil servants, academics, economists and designers, this breakfast event will be held at 58 Victoria Embankment in central London and will involve an interactive Q&A session and networking reception. The event will be recorded and available to watch on-demand at a later date.

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