Policy Evaluation

Overview

Government and stakeholders are increasingly requiring public sector agencies to evaluate their policies, strategies and new initiatives. This comprehensive and practical one-day course will assist you to build in evaluation at the start of the policy development cycle, and plan a high quality evaluation study. The course has been developed for public sector employees involved in policy development or implementation as well as those who may need to commission or plan an evaluation of a policy or strategy.

Course Content

• contemporary language around evaluation
• different forms of evaluation, when each is appropriate and what tools to use in each form
• when and how to plan for evaluation
• key steps in planning an evaluation
• common pitfalls in planning evaluations
• what questions to ask in order to develop an evaluation plan or brief
• a tool or template for developing an evaluation brief

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course attendees should be able to:

• be aware of contemporary approaches to policy evaluation
• identify the key steps in planning an evaluation of a policy or strategy
• develop key questions for an evaluation brief
• have practised the skills to write an evaluation brief
• take away practical tools and templates that are helpful in producing high quality evaluation

Benefits to your organisation

• your organisation will understand the value of a strategic approach to policy evaluation
• resources for evaluation studies may be allocated more efficiently and effectively
• your organisation will be able to use evaluation in developing a learning environment

Benefits to you

• you will understand the multiple uses of evaluation in policy work
• you will be able to plan an evaluation study for policies within your organisation
• you will understand how to make evaluation studies more powerful influences in policy development and review