Policy Hub
Policy Hub includes a number of tools.
These are practical resources that help you access and make the best use of evidence in the development and evaluation of policy. Use the hyperlinks below to navigate to the areas that are of interest to you.
An inclusive approach to policy making involves carrying out an impact assessment
Better policy making: a guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment. Cabinet Office, 2003 - now revised as: Regulatory Impact Assessment Guidance. Cabinet Office, updated 2005 - provides background information on the meaning and purpose of RIAs and step by step guidance on the procedure for preparing and presenting them.
E-Policy principles: a policy makers guide to the Internet (pdf). Office of the e-Envoy, 2001 - These principles are designed to make policy makers aware of the impact that local, national, European and other international policy decisions and legislative proposals have on e-commerce.
Green Book: appraisal and evaluation in Central Government. HM Treasury, 2003 - provides HM Treasury guidance on the economic appraisal of cost and benefits of policy options). See also Managing risks to the public: Appraisal Guidance - supplementary guidance to the Green Book, Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government, published on 17 June 2005.
Impact assessment and appraisal: guidance checklist for policy makers. Strategy Unit, 2002 (Tips on where to go for guidance on impact assessment and appraisal)
The Magenta Book: Guidance notes on Policy Evaluation Government Chief Social Researcher's Office, 2003 - (The Magenta Book is a series of guidance notes on policy evaluation and analysis which are intended to help 'intelligent customers' and 'intelligent providers' determine what constitutes high quality work in the field of policy evaluation and analysis).
Managing risks to the public: Appraisal Guidance HM Treasury, 2005 - supplementary guidance to the Green Book, Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government. It provides guidance for developing and assessing proposals that affect the risk of fatalities, injury and other harms to the public in line with the Government's Principles of Managing Risks to the Public (pdf) - openness and transparency, involvement, proportionality and consistency, evidence and responsibility. The guidance also contains a tool to help structure and make explicit the evaluation of concerns that may exist about risks of fatality and harm.
Regulatory Impact Assessment Guidance Cabinet Office, updated 2005 - provides background information on the meaning and purpose of RIAs and step by step guidance on the procedure for preparing and presenting them.
Rural-proofing policy makers checklist. Countryside Agency, 2002 (Describes 14 characteristic features of rural communities, rural economies and rural environments, which need to be taken into account in achieving more effective policy outcomes).
HM Treasury's Risk Programme and the NAO have highlighted how early risk assessment and management can help to ensure policies can be successfully delivered. The Risk Management Assessment framework (pdf) is a useful tool in this process
Policies should recognise the perspectives of the devolved administrations and regional variations within England.
Incorporating regional perspectives into policy making toolkit (pdf, 596kb) Cabinet Office, ODPM, 2002. (How to ensure that policy making is informed by a proper understanding of regional issues and priorities).
The policy making process takes account of the national, European and international situation; draws on experience in other countries
International Comparisons in Policy Making Toolkit. CMPS, 2002. (Practical help to policy makers in the use of international comparisons in policy making)
'it is important that in order to develop a clear understanding of the issue, departments consult... those who will benefit from the policy or those affected indirectly and those who may have to implement the policy' - Modern policy-making: ensuring policies deliver value for money (pdf)
The GCN Engage programme provides government communicators with a practical set of principles, tools, case studies and training materials to engage with its customers. It is a common mistake to view policy delivery as a linear process that starts with the development of a policy and ends with its communication to the target audience. The reality is that policy and communications are mutually dependent - they should work together right from the start and should be developed in tandem to ensure that the public are involved in policy development. For more information on how policy and communications can work together visit http://engage.comms.gov.uk/knowledge-bank/strategic-planning/working-with-policy.html
Government Action Plan for small business: The Evidence Base Small Business Service, 2004 - An Evidence Base (pdf) complements the Plan by providing a more detailed analysis of the evidence justifying the case for government action for each of the seven strategic themes. 'The Evidence Base illustrates the importance that the Small Business Service attaches to the accumulation and use of knowledge and to making sure that all policy decisions which affect small businesses are underpinned by sound evidence and analysis.'
Partnership Working How to Guide - Communities Scotland website offering help to:
Viewfinder. (pdf, 209kb) Strategy Unit, 2002. Introduces policy makers to the issue of public involvement and provides practical advice on principles, planning activities and selecting methods.
An inclusive approach involves consulting those responsible for implementation and those affected by the policy.
Community Engagement How to Guide - - Scottish Centre for Regeneration site aimed at community representatives, community planning partners, advisers and researchers. The site includes:
Connecting Users users with citizens (pdf, 194kb) Audit Commission, 2003. (Guidance which presents a variety of case studies that demonstrate a range of good practice examples in improving public services through the effective involvement of local people).
Gender Impact Assessment. Department of Trade and industry. Women and Equality Unit - help for policy makers in incorporating a gender perspective into policies, that takes account of the different needs, characteristics and behaviours of the users that they are aimed at.
Learning to listen: core principles for the involvement of children and young people (pdf, 566kb) Children and Young Person's Unit, 2001. (Provides policy makers with a framework to ensure that children and young peoples have opportunities to be involved in the design and delivery of policy).
Improving the Civil Service capability and capacity to deliver programmes and projects
Accreditation Matters, Issue Three, 2007 - briefing for policy makers showing how United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation can help to deliver objectives for better regulation, good governance, public confidence and fair markets.
The Evidence Guide
- training and learning resource from Barnardo's, designed to encourage
and support the use of research and evaluation in social care practice.
The guide, aimed at those in social care and allied professions, will help
in finding, appraising and applying research evidence into practice, as
well as providing guidance, tips and advice for outcome focused evaluation.
Consisting of five modules, each will contain a learner's and trainer's
pack with a variety of interactive material including key text, activities
and PowerPoint slides. Each module is designed to be used individually to
suit learning or training needs.
The Public Sector Benchmarking Service (Developed as a partnership between the Cabinet Office and HM Customs & Excise with the key aim of promoting effective benchmarking and sharing good practices across the public sector)
Service design and delivery guide: achieving high take-up of e-services, cost savings and better quality public services (pdf) (published by the e-Government Unit on 2 February 2005 for central government, local government, non-departmental public bodies and agencies. Provides additional guidance in the areas of take-up of e-services, efficiency savings and design of high quality public services. This guide can be used to:
Smarter Partnerships Toolkit (Developed by the Local Government National Training Organisation the SPT encourages joined up working through the promotion of learning and skills which result in more effective collaborative working with partners).
Successful Delivery Toolkit. Office of Government Commerce, 2002 (The Toolkit brings together policy and best practice in a single point of reference; helps you ask the critical questions about capability and project delivery and gives practical advice on how to improve. It includes the tools element of the Improving Programme and Project Delivery (IPPD) initiative 'to improve the Civil Service capability to deliver programmes and projects: Policy to Successful Delivery.)
Your Delivery Strategy: a practical look at business planning and risk, Cabinet Office, 2001 (pdf - 160kb)
'[The] Government ...must produce policies that really deal with problems; that are shaped by the evidence rather than a response to short-term pressures...' - Modernising Government White Paper (pdf)
The Adding It Up website aims to help Government departments to enhance their store of important evidence used to determine the right policies to meet Government objectives, and to share the most up-to-date information about their evidence base
The Crime Reduction Toolkits form part of the Crime Reduction website and provides practical help to policy makers and practitioners in accessing evaluated evidence and good practice on crime reduction topics.
HDA Evidence Base An information resource developed by the Health Development Agency that aims to 'to build and disseminate the evidence base for public health, focusing on reducing inequalities'
The Magenta Book: Guidance notes on Policy Evaluation Government Chief Social Researcher's Office, 2003 - (The Magenta Book is a series of guidance notes on policy evaluation and analysis which are intended to help 'intelligent customers' and 'intelligent providers' determine what constitutes high quality work in the field of policy evaluation and analysis).
Quality in Qualitative Evaluation: A Framework for assessing Research Evidence Cabinet Office, 2003. (GCSRO Occasional Paper; 2) (The Government Chief Social Researcher's Office in conjunction with the National Centre for Social Research have developed this framework for assessing the credibility, rigour and relevance of individual research studies)
renewal.net is an on-line guide to what works in neighbourhood renewal developed by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit. Wherever possible, the material is based on evaluated evidence of what actually works - or what doesn't work.
For information on tools and databases that help you find and use evidence visit the Evidence Databases and Resources area of Policy Hub.
Making a difference: a guide to evaluating public participation in central government - Department for Constitutional Affairs, 2007 - an objective setting and evaluation framework , intended to help those involved in planning, organising or funding these activities to understand the different factors involved in creating effective public participation , and to set and measure attainable objectives, evaluate impact, and identify lessons for future practice.