In this paper the UK civil servant directly responsible for managing the action research programme Active Learning for Active Citizenship (ALAC), sets out in brief the policy context within which the programme developed. He explains how concepts of active citizenship and community development were brought together in the early 21st century by the British Government, in a programme of ‘civil renewal’. As this has spread across Government as a commitment to ‘community empowerment’, the role of learning in building the capacity of both citizens and communities, and also public servants, has become increasingly recognized. Action research proved a very cost effective way of informing the development of a new approach to this kind of learning for adults.