The Policy Toolkit: Evidence, Evaluation and Impact Assessment

Dates:

• 12 - 23 May 2025 - London (£4,750)
• 13 - 24 October 2025 - London (£4,750)

Course Outline

This 10-day programme combines:

• Developing Effective Policies: Analysis, Evidence and Impact - 5 days
• Evaluation and Impact Assessment of Policies and Projects - 5 days

Policy makers worldwide face pressure to deliver public services with a high degree of impact and quality, often within a limited budget, calling for decisions to be made based on effectiveness and value for money. On completing this combined programme, you will be better equipped to oversee all aspects of the policy-making process from the development stage through to legislation.

In week one, delegates will focus on how evidence and analysis can inform decision making across the policy cycle. They will assess different types and sources of evidence as well as exploring the potential barriers to finding and using the best available evidence, and how these can be overcome.

Week two looks at the different methods of evaluation and impact assessment commonly used to establish the likely impacts and outcomes of a policy. This programme covers methods of monitoring policies and projects in both the long and short-term to assess if the desired outputs and outcomes are being achieved.

Delegates on this highly interactive programme will also have the opportunity to visit a UK government department or agency to witness best practice in action.

Course Objectives: 

On completion, you will be able to:

• Understand the principles of good policy making
• Make use of different types of evidence and evaluation to create successful policies, projects or programmes
• Analyse policy for the purposes of drafting legislation
• Work more effectively with policy-making or drafting colleagues
• Improve your use of appropriate legislative expression
• Communicate policy ideas more effectively

Key Topics

• Applying critical appraisal of research evidence to formulate sound policy
• Understanding the processes involved in analysing policy from a drafter’s perspective
• Communicating and ‘selling’ policy ideas to key decision makers