Policy Hub
This area provides links to key documents that feature on Policy Hub. Use the links below to navigate to the section that is of interest to you.
Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration project - the following papers are published which examine, in more detail, the methodology of the project and assessing lessons learned from the project.
Designing a Demonstration Project: an Employment, Retention and Advancement demonstration in Great Britain 2nd edition, GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2004. (Occasional Paper Series 1) (PDF) - detailed description of the multi-method research design to evaluate the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration Project, the centrepiece of which is an impact assessment through random assignment.
Employer perspectives on the Recruitment, Retention and Advancement of low-pay, low-status employees (PDF 186KB) GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2003. (Occasional Paper Series; 2) - reports on research carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies into UK employers attitudes, strategies, practices towards, and perceptions of, people they employ in respect of their ability to retain work, and the potential for advancement within their organisation.
Large Scale Social Experimentation in Britain: what can and cannot be learnt from the Employment, Retention and Advancement demonstration (186kb) GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2003.
Quality in qualitative evaluation: a framework for assessing research evidence, GCSRO, 2003 - reports on the findings of a programme of work commissioned by the Government Chief Social Researcher's Office to improve the quality of qualitative evaluations. Using a methodological review of quality standards in qualitative evaluation methods, provides a framework for assessing the credibility, rigour and relevance of individual research studies. The review was carried out by the National Centre for Social Research for the Government Social Researcher's Office in the Strategy Unit.
Quality in qualitative evaluation: a framework for assessing research evidence: a quality framework GCSRO, 2003 - provides guidance for assessing the quality of qualitative evaluation and research studies.
Trying it out: the role of 'pilots' in policy-making: report of a review of government pilots (PDF 271KB) GCSRO, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, 2003. The Government Chief Social Researcher's Office carried out a review of government pilots. The review was chaired by Professor Roger Jowell, City University, and supported by a panel of senior figures from inside and outside of government. The report is intended to stimulate debate on the use of pilots in policy development, and to provide guidance on the effective use of pilots across government. It makes 27 recommendations about the role of pilots in policy making, pre-conditions and key properties, methods and practices in pilots, and the use of results.