Evaluation and Policy Analysis

We examine different types of evaluation including process (implementation) and impact (outcome) evaluation as well as the main schools in evaluation and the different methodologies they are associated with. While we cover the broad field of evaluation, we are particularly concerned with impact evaluation. Traditionally, this has entailed quantitative, counterfactual designs such as Randomised Control Trials, but mixed method and ‘small n’ evaluations are of increasing interest.
In the second half of the module, you will be introduced to a selection of key economic methods and will use these tools to answer critical questions of public policy, focusing on fiscal policy and taxation, investment, social insurance and redistribution.

The final project is an opportunity to explore an evaluation and/or policy issue, with relevance to your career plans, in greater depth, under the supervision of a member of our expert faculty. A project with a focus on policy analysis may take the form of a dissertation, with significant desk-based research. There will also be the opportunity for you to opt for an empirical research project working with an external agency. The Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) has relationships with a number of public and voluntary sector organisations who offer opportunities for Master's students to undertake an agreed project. This exercise aims to prepare you to independently design and conduct evaluation and policy-analysis, applying appropriate research methods to examine the core questions related to the chosen topic. Projects will also develop policy or practice proposals based on research findings and you will be supported to achieve real-world impact on policy and practice.

This module introduces students to the application of multivariate statistical techniques in social research. Students will be introduced to the theory and practice of multiple regression by taking examples from social science research. The module will also cover multilevel modelling techniques, used to analyse hierarchical or clustered data for assessing the influence of both the individual characteristics and social and institutional contexts in which the individuals are located.

You will examine recent developments in criminal justice policy with a particular focus on evidence-based or evidence-informed policy and practice. The English and Welsh criminal justice system is the locus of the module, but comparisons with policy in the US and Europe are also made. Starting with questions of how to measure and define crime and offending, the module covers key elements of the criminal justice process and the institutions that deliver it including the police, courts, prisons, probation and victim’s services.

You will consider how evaluation designs respond to the complexity inherent to contemporary policies and practices. The module explores the meaning of attribution and how new evaluation approaches attempt to tackle issues of causation whilst accounting for context. It also provides insights into complexity-appropriate evaluation approaches such as participatory, theory-based, and case based approaches. It identifies the benefits and challenges associated with each approach and discusses important issues such as evidence credibility and generalisation. The module also covers topics that are relevant to real world evaluations and particularly important in the context of complex interventions; those of stakeholder engagement and evaluation utilisation.

The aim of this module is to explore the public administration of housing as an area of social policy. The focus will be on housing in a UK context, exploring three specific areas of housing: homelessness, the private rented sector, and gentrification. Through these three case studies, you will explore the relationships between evidence and policy, and between different areas of social policy. From this exploration of UK housing policy, the module aims to equip you with the skills to critically assess global patterns in housing policy and key issues facing housing as an area of social policy.

This module will provide a thorough exploration of the conceptualisation, definition, and measurement of poverty at a global level and within higher-income and lower-income countries. You will use the UK as a case study for examining evidence on the relationship between policy, the economy and poverty over the past 50 years. You will then explore concepts of inequality and how they relate to, or conflict with, poverty and examine the relationship between globalisation and between-country and within-country inequality.

This module builds on the introduction to impact evaluation provided in the core module ‘Evaluation and the Economics of Public Policy’. It examines, in detail, different approaches to counterfactual impact evaluation with a particular focus on experimental methods such as Randomised Controlled Trials and natural experiments. The concept of causal inference, which is at the heart of counterfactual impact evaluation, is deconstructed and used as the basis for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different counterfactual impact evaluation designs. The potential for counterfactual impact evaluations, particularly RCTs, to influence policy and practice will be the focus of the second part of the module. You will also look at the use of Systematic Review and meta-analysis, and discuss the potential for evidence-based policy.