Policy Evaluation in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom Government uses a wide range of evaluation methods to ensure that policies, programmes and public services are planned and delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible. A major driving force for high quality policy evaluation in the UK is the Government's commitment to evidence-based policy making. This requires policy makers, and those who implement policies, to utilise the best available evidence from national statistics, academic research, economic theory, pilots, evaluations of past policies, commissioned research and systematic consultation with delivery agents. The Government's strategy for public spending and taxation also provides the context within which policy evaluation takes place in the UK

This paper reviews the types of evaluation that are used by the UK Government, including impact evaluation, implementation evaluation, economic evaluation, and the use of descriptive and inductive statistics for evaluation purposes. The use of Performance Management for the allocation and accountability of resources by the UK Government is described, as is the machinery that has been developed in the UK to deliver better public services. The paper concludes by considering the role of factors other than evidence and policy evaluation in the UK policy making process.

(based on article's abstract)