Evidence for Social Policy and Practice

Perspectives on how research and evidence can influence decision making in public services

Download the Evidence for Social Policy and Practice report (PDF 840Kb)

From criminal justice, childrens services to poverty reduction, this report contains essays from organisations using different methodologies and approaches to generate evidence and influence policy and practice in a number of service areas.

The idea that policy and practice should be underpinned by rigorous evidence is internationally accepted, yet there is recognition that the level of rigour in evaluating ‘what works’ in social policy remains limited. In a time of public service reform and more decentralised decision making, the need for timely, accessible and reliable evidence is becoming ever more important.

At NESTA we both use and produce evidence through a combination of practical programmes and research projects. We are keen to learn from the organisations featured here – as well as others working in the field – to help strengthen the evidence base and improve the sharing of this knowledge.

Published
April 2011

Author
NESTA