What and When to Evaluate: guide

This is guidance on What and When to Evaluate policies, programmes and projects prepared by the Centre of Expertise in Appraisal and Evaluation.


References

Australian Government, Department of Finance (2023). Evaluation in the Commonwealth (RMG 130). Available here: Evaluation in the Commonwealth (RMG 130) | Department of Finance (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Australian Government, Department of the Treasury, Australian Centre for Evaluation (2021). Commonwealth Evaluation Policy. Available here: Commonwealth Evaluation Policy | evaluation.treasury.gov.au (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Australian Government, Department of the Treasury, Australian Centre for Evaluation (n.d.). Commonwealth Evaluation Toolkit - When to evaluate. Available here: When to evaluate | evaluation.treasury.gov.au (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Department for Business and Trade (2023). Driving our performance: DBT's monitoring and evaluation strategy 2023 to 2026. Available here: DBT’s monitoring and evaluation strategy - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2025). DCMS Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy. Available at: DCMS Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy 2026 to 2031 - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (2022). DLUHC Evaluation Strategy. Available here: DLUHC evaluation strategy - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (2025). DSIT Evaluation Strategy. Available here: DSIT evaluation strategy - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Department for Work and Pensions (2023). DWP Evaluation Strategy. Available here: DWP Evaluation Strategy - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Food Standards Agency (2022). Evaluation Action Plan. Available here: Evaluation Action Plan - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026). (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Evaluation Task Force, Cabinet Office and HM Treasury (2025). The Evaluation Registry. Available at: Home - Evaluation Registry - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Evaluation Task Force, Cabinet Office and Georgia Gould MP (2025). Evaluation Demonstrators: A collection of five evaluation plans and accompanying case study report demonstrating best practice for evaluating government major projects. Available here: Evaluation Demonstrators - GOV.UK (Accessed: 30 September 2026). 

HM Revenue and Customs (2026). HMRC Evaluation Framework. Available here: HMRC Evaluation Framework - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

HM Treasury and Evaluation Task Force (2026). The Magenta Book: Central Government guidance on evaluation. Available here: The Magenta Book - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

HM Treasury and Government Finance Function (2026). The Green Book: UK government guidance on appraisal. Available here: The Green Book - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Ministry of Defence (2023). Ministry of Defence Evaluation Strategy. Available here: Ministry of Defence Evaluation Strategy - GOV.UK (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Office for National Statistics (2022). ONS Evaluation Strategy. Available here: ONS Evaluation Strategy - Office for National Statistics (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2016). Creating a Fairer Scotland: A New Future for Employability Support in Scotland. Available here: Creating a Fairer Scotland: A New Future for Employability Support in Scotland - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2018). Evaluation for policy makers: A straightforward guide. Available here: Evaluation for policy makers - A straightforward guide - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2019). Fair Start Scotland evaluation report 1: implementation and early delivery review. Available here: Fair Start Scotland evaluation report 1: implementation and early delivery review - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2019). Fair Start Scotland evaluation report 2: overview of year one. Available here: Fair Start Scotland evaluation report 2: overview of year one - November 2019 - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2020). Fair Start Scotland evaluation report 3: year two overview. Available at: Fair Start Scotland - evaluation report 3: year two - overview - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2022). Distress Brief Intervention pilot programme: evaluation. Available here: Distress Brief Intervention pilot programme: evaluation - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2022). Extended Distress Brief Intervention Programme: evaluation. Available here: Extended Distress Brief Intervention Programme: evaluation - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2022). Fair Start Scotland: economic evaluation. Available here: Fair Start Scotland: economic evaluation - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2023). Cancer strategy 2023-2033 and cancer action plan 2023-2026: monitoring and evaluation framework. Available here: Cancer strategy 2023-2033 and cancer action plan 2023-2026: monitoring and evaluation framework - August 2023 - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2023). Child poverty: monitoring and evaluation policy evaluation framework. Available here: Child poverty - monitoring and evaluation: policy evaluation framework - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2024). Conducting evaluation during times of change: Lessons from policy and community responses to the pandemic in Scotland. Available here: Conducting evaluation during times of change: Lessons from policy and community responses to the pandemic in Scotland - gov.scot (Accessed: 30 September 2026). 

Scottish Government (2024). Early Adopter Communities: evaluability assessment. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Available here: Early Adopter Communities: evaluability assessment - gov.scot (Accessed: 30 September 2026)

Scottish Government and COSLA (2024). No One Left Behind: employability strategic plan 2024 to 2027. Available here: No One Left Behind: employability strategic plan 2024 to 2027 - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2024). Scottish Government Evaluation Action Plan 2024-26. Available at: Scottish Government evaluation action plan - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government (2025). Distress Brief Intervention: under 18s elements: evaluation. Available here: Distress Brief Intervention - under 18s elements: evaluation - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Scottish Government. Devolved employment services: statistics. Available here: Devolved employment services: statistics - gov.scot (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Transport Scotland (2015). Borders Railway Baseline Study: Final Report. Available here: Borders Railway Baseline Study - Final Report | Transport Scotland (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Transport Scotland (2017). Borders Railway Year 1 Evaluation. Available here: Borders Railway Year 1 Evaluation | Transport Scotland (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Transport Scotland (2018). Borders Railway Year 2 Evaluation: Survey of Users and Non-users. Available here: Borders Railway Year 2 - Evaluation - Survey of users and non-users - February 2018 | Transport Scotland (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Transport Scotland. Borders Railway Final Business Case. Available here: Borders Railway Final Business Case final version | Transport Scotland (Accessed: 28 September 2026).

Contact

Email: socialresearch@gov.scot

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