Evaluation and Performance Management Research

RAND Europe's expertise in the practice of evaluation and performance management research is aimed at helping decision and policy makers improve the analysis underlying their choices. In short, we support informed judgements and help to improve decision making.

Our work is organised into four broad areas of expertise which include:

How We Work

Our team of experts work across a range of topical disciplines and use mixed methods of enquiry involving both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Our work in the area of evaluation and performance management involves a continuum of perspectives from ex ante to ex post evaluations and reviews. In conditions of greater uncertainty, we apply our expertise in scenario thinking. Often the evidence collected holds others to account by focussing on key issues such as the value for money of public spending: what was spent: in what ways and with what immediate outputs; what is the overall value to society; and how could it have been done better or differently? A broad range of our most frequently used methodologies are set out in detail in the Performance Audit Handbook.

We work closely with our clients, including the European Commission, a number of European Supreme Audit Institutions, and key UK deliverers of services that matter to the public. We also work with corporate organisations, third sector enterprises, and charities.

Current ProjectsMore »

Assessing the Effectiveness of Conditional Cash Transfers as a Development Mechanism

Conditional cash transfer programmes (CCTs) are seen as particularly effective in low- and middle-income countries, but relatively little is known about the interface between the supply of services and programme administration and specific human development outcomes. RAND Europe is assessing the effectiveness of CCTs, through a two-year grant from UK Economic Social Research Council and Department for International Development.

European Alliance for Families Helps Define Best Practices Across Member States

RAND Europe has been commissioned to provide technical support and research to the European Alliance for Families (EAF). The EAF is a platform for the exchange of experiences on family-friendly policies across EU Member States. Among other things, RAND is developing and applying a rigorous evaluation framework for the identification of effective, robust and transferable family policy practices in Europe.

Completed ResearchMore »

Improving Governance of Social Assistance in ASEAN Countries — 05 Apr 2012

Efforts to improve human development outcomes in Southeast Asia are often hindered by problems with the governance of social assistance programmes. Governance broadly refers to the rules that govern interactions in the public sector, the relationships more widely between the public and private sectors, and the interactions between citizens, communities and state. The World Bank commissioned RAND Europe to develop a toolkit on how to improve governance in ASEAN countries.

How Effective Are Provider Incentives in the Health and Social Protection Arena? — 05 Apr 2012

The World Bank is interested in the linkages between governance, service delivery and human development outcomes. The Human Development Chief Economist's Office has asked RAND Europe to determine if OECD countries have been effective at using provider incentives in health and social protection policy areas, as their experiences may be able to inform programmes used in developing countries.

Evaluating English Programme of Integrated Care Pilots — 22 Mar 2012

Because improving health and social care interventions through integrated care may be one way of addressing the changing needs of the English population, the Department of Health commissioned an evaluation of 16 integrated care pilots. The evaluation revealed that greater integration of care has led to improved care processes, more satisfied staff and reduced use of hospitals. However, some aspects of patient experience were less positive following the pilots and the intended reduction in emergency admissions was not seen.

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Evaluation and Performance Management

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Emily Scraggs, Research Leader

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RAND Europe's Performance Audit Handbook provides a first-stop shop for anyone interested in the theory and practice of delivering performance audits. It is intended for evaluators working to support accountability and learning in the public sector; those seeking to commission or use such services; and researchers interested in the unfolding practice of evaluating in the public interest.

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Researcher Spotlight

Emily Scraggs

Research Leader

Emily Scraggs

Emily Scraggs is a research leader for Evaluation and Performance Management at RAND Europe. She has worked in research and consultancy for more than ten years and has specialised in qualitative research and formative evaluation work. Prior to joining RAND Europe, Scraggs worked for a…

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