Can face masks reduce the transmission of infectious diseases? What is the impact of reducing the number of children and young in care? Will curriculum reform improve the educational outcomes of primary and secondary school students in Wales? These questions raise important issues about how do we evaluate social policies, practices and innovations and how do we know if something ‘works’. This module will introduce you to the complexities of deciding when to undertake an evaluation and how to plan for it. Through learning about theory and methods, you will learn how to formulate relevant research questions and how to select an appropriate research design. You will also explore the importance of policy context and the extent to which evidence-informed policies can be successfully transferred across different cultures and countries. By the end of this module you will be able to plan your own social policy, practice or innovation evaluation and be able to critically appraise the strengths and limitations of your selected design.

1. Appraise the evidence base for a policy and identify when an evaluation is required (L01) 

2. Plan for the development or adaptation of a policy, practice or innovation (L02) 

3. Plan for the evaluation of a policy, practice or innovation (L03) 

4. Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different evaluation study designs and the evidence they provide (L04) 

The module will be delivered through a mix of large group and small group sessions,. Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year 

Academic Skills 

• Identify, summarise and synthesise information from multiple sources [L01] 

• Critically evaluate academic research [L01; L03] 

• Write cogently and clearly on a specific topic [L02, L04] 

Module Specific Skills 

• Recognise the need for an evaluation to be conducted [L01] 

• Identify the strengths and weakness of different evaluation study designs [L01; L04] 

• Develop an appropriate research design for the development, adaptation and evaluation of a policy [L02, L03] 

Employability/Transferable Skills. 

• Written presentation of complex information in different formats for difference audiences [L01; L02; L03; L04] 

The module will include both formative and summative assessment to enable students to demonstrate their learning: 

Formative Assessment 0% contribution - During Module Delivery 

Students will be required to undertake a 20 item Multiple Choice Questionnaire. The assessment will assess students understanding of concepts linked to development, adaptation and evaluation. Formative feedback will be provided. This assessment will permit students to demonstrate that they have met L01, L02, L03 and L04. 

Summative Assessment 

Ministerial Briefing (1200 words) 40% contribution - During Module Delivery

Students will be required to complete a ministerial briefing addressed to a government minister intending to introduce a new social policy to the UK. The briefing will appraise the evidence base for the proposed policy (e.g. mandatory introduction of face masks to prevent transmission of infectious diseases). It will provide a recommendation as to whether the policy should be implemented in the UK context or if it should be implemented with some modification. Written feedback will be provided by the module lead. This assessment will permit students to demonstrate that they have met L01 and L04. 

Policy Evaluation Plan (1800 words) 60% contribution - End of Semester

Students will be required to develop and evaluate a policy, practice or innovation. Students will be asked to develop to address one of a number of social problems provided by the module convenor. Students will be required to: a) describe the problem that the intervention addresses and the intervention; b) outline the process for developing the intervention; c) outline the evaluation to be undertaken; d) appraise the strengths and limitations of the proposed study design. Written feedback will be provided by the module lead. This assessment will permit students to demonstrate that they have met L02, L03 and L04. 

Where a student fails to pass a module, then the Exam Board will discuss the opportunity to retake any units of assessment that they did not pass at the first attempt. In these cases, the module mark will be capped. Further details of resit and repeat rules can be found in Senate Regulations for Taught Programmes.

The module learning content will cover five key areas: 

When should a policy be evaluated? 

It is not always feasible or justifiable to evaluate all policies, especially given the high costs often associated with evaluation. We will consider when it is appropriate to undertake a policy evaluation, and the complexities involved with generating timely and relevant evidence. 

What is the policy being evaluated?  

In order to evaluate if a policy is effective it is first necessary to understand what the policy is and what outcomes should be measured. In particular we need to explore the potential harms or unintended outcomes that might be associated with policy. Different policies will also operate differently when delivered in practice, and so it is important to explore key uncertainties around implementation. 

How do we develop a policy? 

In some cases, we may evaluate a policy developed by someone else (e.g. a government or charity). But in some cases there will be a need to develop a novel policy to address a social problem. We will consider the processes for developing a policy, looking at models and frameworks to support this. In particular we will explore how to involve different stakeholders, including the target population, in the process of development to make sure the intervention meets their needs. 

How do we evaluate a policy? 

We will consider the theoretical debates around evaluation, and the methodological and practical aspects of undertaking an evaluation of a policy, practice or innovation. This will include deciding on relevant research questions to ask, developing an appropriate research design, and identifying data sources. We will explore the strengths and limitations associated with different study designs, and the claims that can be made from the evidence they generate. We will further consider the roles of different stakeholders within an evaluation, including the separation of policy implementation and evaluation. 

How do we adapt an evidence-informed policy from one setting to another?  

We do not always need to develop new policies, practices or innovations. Approaches that have demonstrated effectiveness might already be in existence. However, there remain questions about whether evidence-informed policies can be easily transferred between cultures and countries, and how we should decide if they will replicate effects in the new context. We will consider the need to make some adaptations to policies before they are transferred between contexts, and the processes for undertaking such adaptations.