The purpose of this report was to help policy makers, practitioners and others consider how best to ensure value for money in civil legal aid. It focuses on experience in the asylum legal sector; brings together the results of research undertaken earlier in this project, some of which has already been published; and seeks to draw out the lessons.

This report was commissioned in 2009 by Refugee and Migrant Justice, in partnership with Asylum Aid and the Immigration Advisory Service. Since that time, both Refugee and Migrant Justice and the Immigration Advisory Service have entered administration. In June 2011, The Runnymede Trust was given permission to publish the outstanding reports, including this one. Asylum Aid remained a partner in the final report, together with the Law Centres Network (formerly the Law Centres Federation). The project was funded throughout by The Baring Foundation.