‘How to’ resource
A quick tool to assess a local authority or combined authority’s use of evaluation in policy making and identify areas for improvement.
Evaluation is a key part of policymaking, shaping future policy decisions with learning from past delivery. Weak evaluation does not only create an analytical gap, it creates a decision making gap.
This tool allows individuals and teams to review the elements needed to conduct evaluation and embed the learning in the policymaking process. Criteria are assessed for the best fit on four maturity levels, which can form the basis of an action plan.
The self-assessment tool is available in several formats:
- Within the guide as an editable PDF with dropdown options
- Print out the matrix within the PDF to make notes within a team meeting or workshop
- Complete the Excel version with an automated summary sheet to share with managers
Key things to consider
- There’s no overall score – This tool was developed for self-assessment, not for a league table. Change will be seen by making progress on individual criterion.
- Explore difference of opinion – We recommend that several people within a team, or across different teams complete the self-assessment. An analyst in a central insights team may have different views on whether evaluation evidence is easily accessible to an economic development project officer. That difference helps highlight areas for improvement.
- Evaluation isn’t the sole responsibility of one team – Designing projects that embed evaluation, and learning from past evaluations, happens across organisations. Officers within a project management office, delivery teams, and senior leaders may all find this self-assessment tool helpful for thinking about how evaluation evidence is generated and used.
- Steps to change – No organisation is expected to jump from the first to the last maturity level—it happens step-by-step. Identify actions by comparing the current level of maturity to the next one.
- Prioritise next steps – Changing routines and habits is hard. Select a few areas to focus on first, whether that’s responsibilities within your team’s control, ‘quick wins’, or making the case to leaders.
Get in touch – Ask other local authorities for tips on use of evaluation in our online forum ‘Local economic growth in the UK’ on KnowledgeHub. Contact us with queries or suggestions of additional resources.
