Evaluation of policies, programmes and practice

CEP has particular experience and expertise in in the evaluation of policy, programme, regulation and practice.  This incorporates: forward-looking / prospective or ex ante evaluation; process, outcome, impact and economic evaluations; and reflective or ex post evaluations.  We have undertaken evaluations across many different sectors, including: energy; climate change; natural environment; agriculture / rural development; water management; flood risk management; biodiversity, land, spatial planning / urban development and regeneration; transport; chemicals; and resource efficiency.

Example projects include:

A national research hub  - the Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN) - to develop new ways to measure the effectiveness of domestic policies on energy, water, environment and food (the ‘nexus’), and how they affect wider society.  CEP part of a consortium led by University of Surrey. For ESRC, NERC, Defra, DECC, Environment Agency, and Food Standards Agency. 2016 - 2019.

Flood Awareness Wales Community Engagement Review. For Natural Resources Wales. 2015 - 2016.

Evaluation of the Communities Prepared project (led by Groundwork South, with Exeter University and Cornwall Community Flood Forum). For Big Lottery Fund. 2015 - 2017.

Supporting the uptake of low cost resilience for properties at risk of flooding – evaluating a small-scale trial (team led by University of the West of England). For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2015 - 2016.

Childrens Investment Fund for the Future (CIFF) Evaluation of the European Climate Foundation (ECF) (led by URSUS Consulting). For CIFF. 2015.

Enhancing ex-post evaluation of flood and coastal erosion risk management plans and schemes (with Middlesex FHRC and HR Wallingford). For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2015.

Catchment Base Approach (CaBA): Monitoring and evaluation (Phase 2) and wider adoption of CaBA for the period 2013-15 (led by Cascade Consulting, with eftec and Lancaster University). For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2014 - 2016.

Evaluation fellowship to support and promote policy evaluation in Defra. For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2014 - 2015.

Evaluation of the Land Use Strategy (LUS) forestry focused sub-regional pilot studies. For Forestry Commission Scotland. 2014 - 2015.

Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder Evaluation (with Flood Hazard Research Centre, University of Northumbria, University of Surrey and the new economics foundation). For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2013 - 2015.

Monitoring and Evaluation of Nature Improvement Areas: Phase 2 (with the GeoData Institute and Cascade Consulting). For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2013 - 2016.

Evaluation of the biodiversity offsetting pilot phase (with IEEP). For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2012 - 2014.

Evaluation of BBSRC’s bioenergy public dialogue project. For the Biotechnology and Bioscience Research Council (BBSRC). 2012 - 2013.

Evaluation of the catchment-based approach - pilot stage (led by Cascade Consulting). For the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). 2012 - 2013.

Ex post evaluation of the implementation by Member States of Directive 2007/23/EC on pyrotechnic articles (led by Milieu) For the European Commission’s DG Enterprise. 2011.