Policy Hub
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Policy Hub: To be the first port of call for promoting improvements in policy-making and delivery. |
Government Social Research Unit, HM Treasury |
Website Click here to go to the Policy Hub home page. |
Gathers evidence for wider dissemination Provides access to sources of evidence Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice Supplies links to evidence providers |
Launched in March 2002 |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| International Comparisons in Policy-Making: To enable practitioners to improve the quality of public policy development and delivery in the United Kingdom by easing access to reliable and relevant international policy-making experience and increasing the use of that information. |
Civil Service College Directorate, CMPS |
Evidence based 'how to' guide Place on Policy Hub website. Click here to go to the web-based International Comparisons in Policy-Making toolkit on Policy Hub. |
Provides access to sources of evidence Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice Supplies links to evidence providers |
Launched in March 2002 |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Foresight Programme: The UK's Government-led Foresight programme brings people, knowledge and ideas together to look ahead and prepare for the future. Business, the science base, Government, the voluntary sector and others work together to think about what might happen in the future and what we can do about it now to increase prosperity and enhance the quality of life for all. |
Foresight, Office of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) |
Website Click here to visit the Foresight website. |
Gathers evidence for wider dissemination Provides access to sources of evidence Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| www.renewal.net: To ensure that a higher proportion of people take an evidence-based approach to the design of neighbourhood level initiatives and to ensure that increased use is made of evaluated evidence about what works. |
Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU), Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) | available on Website: http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/rnetworking.asp | Provides access to sources of evidence Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice |
live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Sources for Policymakers: Workshop: To provide new policymakers with an introduction to appropriate sources and some tips on using sources effectively. |
HM Treasury |
Workshop |
Encourages good practice Encourages knowledge sharing |
In development |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Children and Young People email alert & Knowledge Pool: To provide a one-stop source for Treasury personnel working in the policy area of children, young people & families. |
HM Treasury |
Knowledge pool held on intranet. Weekly e-mail alerting service available free to anybody working in this policy area, across government, think tanks, voluntary & community sector, research bodies. Please contact cyp.webmaster@hm-treasury.gov.uk to request a sample copy |
Gathers evidence from government departments (public domain), quality press, think tanks, voluntary & community sector, research bodies for wider dissemination Provides access to sources of evidence. Encourages knowledge sharing and good practice. Supplies links to evidence providers. |
Knowledge Pool 'Live' |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
|
Impact Assessment (IA) (the former Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)) supersedes the Policy Effects Framework and must be completed for all policy proposals that have an impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies. IAs also determine whether these policy proposals impact on the Public Sector. If your proposal only impacts on public services you will need to carry out an Initial Public Sector IA. This has replaced the Public Services Threshold Test. The Initial Public Sector IA will provide analysis of the impacts on public services and determine whether you should continue with the IA process and develop a full IA in the usual way. |
Better Regulation Executive, Cabinet Office |
Better policies |
Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Economics Training: Department for Education and Skills training to improve the use of economic evidence in policy development and analysis. To enhance the economic literacy of the department and transform Department for Education and Skills into an economic department. |
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) |
A rolling programme of internal presentations, led by internal analysts, and attended by a mixture of analysts and senior policymakers. Tailored external Training programme for non-economists on the economics of education and relevance to policy-making in the UK. |
Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice Provides access to sources of evidence |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Internally cross-cutting evaluation and appraisal steering groups: To promote the use of evidence-based policy-making, review research activity in their areas, identify gaps and overlaps, and set priorities. |
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) |
Steering groups for: DfES as a whole; Schools; |
Gathers evidence for wider dissemination Provides access to sources of evidence Encourages good practice Supplies links to evidence providers Encourages knowledge sharing |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
To ensure that the principles of good regulation are followed by assessing potential impact in terms of costs, benefits and risks which could affect businesses, charities or the voluntary sector. Regulatory Impact Assessments are aimed at improving the quality of advice to ensure good policy-making. |
Better Regulation Executive, Cabinet Office |
Written step-by-step guides. Click here to visit the Better Regulation Executive website. |
Encourages good practice |
Guidance completed Due to be revised in 2002 |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Strategic Futures Project: To identify some of the key challenges - both threats and opportunities - which the government is likely to encounter over the next 10-20 years. |
Strategy Unit, Cabinet Office |
Identification and scoping of strategic cross cutting challenges, which might affect how Government functions over the next 10-20 years. Co-ordination of a series of seminars with senior civil servants, academics and business experts to discuss strategic futures issues. Additionally, the co-ordination of a group of strategic planners from Whitehall, the Devolved Administrations and the European Commission to promote consideration and discussion of strategic cross-cutting issues and to develop and share best practice in futures work Ad hoc research papers on key futures issues. |
Gathers evidence for wider dissemination Provides access to sources of evidence Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice Supplies links to evidence providers |
All strands of work are in progress and work completed so far can be found on the SU website. Click here to visit the Strategy Unit website. |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Programme and Policy Evaluation: 1 day course: To provide an understanding of the role evaluation plays in government, and the principles, processes and methodologies involved in using evaluation effectively within programme and policy development and implementation. |
Evaluation Unit, National Assembly for Wales (NAW) |
Training course run as part of the core training provision to policy and specialist staff from across the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) |
Encourages good practice |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Evaluation Unit, National Assembly for Wales (NAW): To promote and support evaluation across the National Assembly for Wales's (NAW) functions through the provision of consultation and technical advice on planning and design of evaluations. Also takes a broader role by providing training, publishing guidance, reviewing evaluative work and advising on the strategic direction and co-ordination of evaluation. |
Evaluation Unit, Economic Advice Division, Research and Development Group, National Assembly for Wales (NAW) |
Evaluation advice, research designs, meta-evaluation, strategic policy and training. Currently working on promoting the systematic use of evaluation at different stages of the policy development cycle. |
Encourages good practice Gathers evidence for wider dissemination |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
| Strategic Policy Unit, National Assembly for Wales (NAW): To support and promote evidence-based policy-making |
Strategic Policy Unit (SPU), National Assembly for Wales (NAW) |
Amongst a range of activities outputs include: Better Policy Week: programme included a variety of events designed to publicise and promote evidence-based policy-making. Developed a suite of consultation tools intended to provide a more consistent and process driven means of engaging with outside interests. Developing a guidance web page for policy-making which will include links to best practice project management work and incorporate IT consultation and other tools as they are developed. Examining training implications for consultation tools and policy-making in general. |
Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice Supplies links to evidence providers |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
|
Research and Co-ordination Unit, National Assembly for Wales (NAW): As well as supporting the professional development of research staff, the unit is actively involved in promoting best practice and the importance of evidence-based policy-making. |
Research and Co-ordination Unit, National Assembly for Wales (NAW) |
Skills audit of officials involved in research, development and evaluation will be used to create a 'can do' directory to promote methodological knowledge sharing and best practice. Developed databases to improve access to evidence from research projects undertaken by the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) or commissioned by the department. Currently working to develop a Research, Development and Evaluation internet site through which databases, research forum best practice guide and other information useful for evidence-based policy-making will be made available. |
Gathers evidence for wider dissemination Provides access to sources of evidence Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice Supplies links to evidence providers |
Live |
| Name and Aim(s) of initiative |
Lead organisation |
Output |
Characteristics |
Status |
|
Research Forum: To bring together senior research, development and evaluation officials from across the National Assembly for Wales's wide range of policy responsibilities to promote the use of evidence in policy-making, to take a strategic overview of research issues and to produce best practice guidance. |
National Assembly for Wales |
Forum of officials |
Encourages knowledge sharing Encourages good practice |
Live |