Handling Complexity in Policy Evaluation: Module 2, Selecting an Appropriate Evaluation Approach

The ‘Handling Complexity in Policy Evaluation’ workshop series provides you with knowledge and practical advice to allow you to deal with complexity in policy analysis and evaluation.

This second workshop reviews material presented in chapter four of the UK Government Magenta Book Supplementary Guide, which provides guidance on how to select an appropriate evaluation approach for a complex intervention, reviews some of the different evaluation approaches available and indicates when these are most useful.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

• Understand the importance of using a complexity-appropriate approach to evaluation
• Be aware of the breadth and diversity of approaches that can be used in complex settings
• Be equipped with a set of tools that help identify an appropriate approach or approaches based on the evaluation purpose, the complexity attributes present, and the feasibility of approach for intended use.

Intended Participants

This workshop (along with Modules 1 and 3) are designed to support policy makers, analysts and evaluators at all levels facing complexity challenges in their current work.

We recommend attending all three modules, which have been designed to complement one another.

Tutors

Helen Wilkinson is a director of Risk Solutions’. She has over 25 years’ consulting experience delivering assignments supporting policy formulation, development of management systems, and all aspects of evaluation and review. She has worked at senior levels for the UK government, reporting for example directly to ministers in Defra. She leads one of two teams delivering quality assurance of the National Audit Office’s (NAO) value for money (VFM) evaluation reports. Helen is a co-author of the HM Treasury 2020 Magenta Book Supplementary Guide “Handling Complexity in Policy Evaluation” and Defra’s complexity evaluation framework.

Richard Allen is Principal Researcher and Consultant at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (TIHR). He has worked for more than thirty years in the not for profit/NGO and public sectors in a range of roles that include senior management, consultancy, evaluation, project management, quality management and grants management. He has expertise in the evaluation, and programme management, of multi-site complex programmes in the ‘not for profit’/NGO sector. This includes: the real time theory-based realist evaluation of UK government’s (BEIS) heat network investment project, in partnership with Risk Solutions; evaluation of the joint DoH, DWP, PHE Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents Innovation Fund being delivered across nine sites in England; the evaluation of community-based health care navigation services; community consultation on financial well-being for older people for the Money Advice Services and co-constructing Theories of Change with the Food Standards Agency (Cecan case study) for a major change programme. He has
provided Theory of Change Training for the middle management in the British Council.

Richard has researched (MPhil) the use of Theory of Change for the design, planning and implementation of programmes in complex settings. He also has degrees in Law, Criminology, Organisational Psychology and Research Methods. Richard is a graduate of the TIHR’s coaching programme.

Course Fees

Non-Members         £335 + VAT

Members                  £310 + VAT

Student Members   £285 + VAT

We will be offering places to all on our waiting list in the first instance and then open up registration to all.

The workshop is not recorded

Please note : Refunds will only be provided for participant cancellations received 2 weeks prior to the event, ie. by 22 June 2023

UKES reserves the right to cancel the event, in which case a full refund would be provided