Short Abstract

Using the systems-evaluation of Defra’s resource and waste policy programme as a use case, we will present our approach and lessons learned in how portfolio evaluations can deliver value and learning to policy makers and become embedded and ultimately owned across the organisation.

Description

Government policy has become characterised by an acknowledgement of the need for a holistic approach to tackle systemic challenges – most recently embodied by Labour’s approach to mission-driven government. This presents unique challenges to evaluation, with programmatic evaluation studies required to i) deliver knowledge and insights at the individual policy / project-level, at the portfolio level, and perhaps even across regional or thematic sub-levels in between, but also ii) foster engagement and participation from policy makers and other stakeholders, to encourage the development of an evaluation culture where findings inform policy-making across various teams in government.

We will illustrate how we are dealing with this challenge within the evaluation of the Resources & Waste Policy Programme (RWPP); commissioned in 2022 by Defra, this evaluation encompasses a portfolio of nine interconnected policy evaluations, five thematic impact evaluations, and an overarching system-level synthesis. The evaluation is delivered concurrently to policy implementation, to facilitate learning for policy action – bringing together a wealth of data in a dynamic, changing policy context.

This presentation, delivered collaboratively with Defra, will firstly focus on our approach underpinning our holistic evaluation programme. We will demonstrate how, by moving beyond delivering a programme of individual evaluations, methodological and analytical synergies are created across the evaluation to create a portfolio-level evidence base supporting strategic learning and policymaking more broadly. Secondly, we will share lessons learned on how evaluation can become embedded in an organisation. We will highlight how we have developed mechanisms to foster continuous engagement across Defra throughout the evaluation process, and how insights generated are feeding into policy adaptations. This includes not just actions taken within the evaluation programme, but will highlight the role of the evaluation manager on the client’s side in embedding the evaluation across policy teams and manage how it can feed into key decision-making processes.