How to evaluate policy Task
Evaluation is an important part of the policy cycle and should be started as early as possible. Ideally planning how you should evaluate a policy or project should go hand in hand with planning the delivery of the actual policy of project itself.
There are many different types of evaluation. EAU can help to identify which evaluation would be the most relevant. Sometimes a mixture of approaches is best.
Types of evaluation
The three main types of evaluation are:
- process evaluations – these aim to assess whether a policy is being implemented as intended
- impact evaluations – these aim to provide an objective test of what changes have occurred, and the extent to which these changes can be attributed to a policy.
- economic evaluations – these aim to compare the benefits of a policy with its costs.
When deciding how best to evaluate your policy you should consider the overall objective and key success measures of the policy. What might the short/medium/long term effects of the policy be and what would have happened if the policy was not implemented? Considering the wider effects, or secondary impact, of the policy is also important.
EAU support
EAU will discuss these questions with you and help you come to an appropriate and proportionate Evaluation Strategy for your policy or project. EAU hold a central Evaluation Budget for the department, so may be able to provide some funding for the work.
EAU would also be happy to discuss how best to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are involved in the evaluation and consider a communications plan to make sure the results of your evaluation reach the right people.
