Verian was pleased to contribute to the Evaluation Task Force (ETF) and Evaluation & Trial Advice Panel (ETAP) Seminar Series, with Alex Hurrell, Head of Evaluation at Verian, leading a session on Value for Money (VfM) evaluation for government programmes and public policy interventions. Hosted by James Collis, Head of the Government Skills Evidence Centre in the Cabinet Office, the seminar brought together evaluation professionals from across government to explore practical approaches for assessing whether public spending is delivering meaningful value.
Against a backdrop of increasing fiscal pressures and growing demand for accountability, the session examined how evaluators can assess VfM when traditional cost-benefit analysis is not feasible or appropriate. Alex outlined the role of VfM evaluation within the wider evaluation framework, positioning it alongside process and impact evaluation to answer a critical question for policymakers: “Did the intervention deliver good value for money?”
The seminar explored practical approaches to Value for Money (VfM) evaluation and tools for making robust and transparent assessments of public spending. Alex demonstrated how these approaches help evaluators move beyond a single VfM metric by combining quantitative, qualitative and economic evidence to assess how resources are used, outcomes are achieved and benefits are distributed. Drawing on examples from major government programmes, including work for MHCLG, the session highlighted how new evaluation approaches are increasingly being applied across UK public policy evaluation, particularly where traditional cost-benefit analysis is difficult or inappropriate, helping decision-makers understand not only whether an intervention worked, but whether it represented a good use of public resources.
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