A new book examined the key theories, concepts, and issues in social policy.
Source: Michael Lavalette and Alan Pratt, Social Policy: Theories, concepts and issues (Third edition), SAGE Publications Ltd (020 7324 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Dec
A report examined how foundations (such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) might contribute to social policy debate and change.
Source: Diana Leat, Foundations and Policy Involvement: Creating options, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2005-Nov
The government's Chief Scientific Adviser published revised guidelines on scientific analysis in policy-making, following consultation.
Source: Guidelines on Scientific Analysis in Policy Making, Office of Science and Technology/Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5000)
Links: Guidelines | DTI press release | Royal Society press release
Date: 2005-Oct
A literature review examined civic participation activity in public policy-making. Across many different contexts there was concern that, to date, civic participation appeared not to have made a significant impact on decision-making.
Source: Linda Nicholson, Civic Participation in Public Policy-Making: A literature review, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Aug
A report said that the Confederation of British Industry routinely exaggerated the costs of environmental regulation, ignored the benefits of it, and falsely presented its anti-regulatory position as if it had consensus support across the business community.
Source: Simon McRae, Hidden Voices: The CBI, corporate lobbying and sustainability, Friends of the Earth (020 7490 1555)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | FOE press release | CBI press release
Date: 2005-Jul
An article explored the implications of making social policies reflect consumer choice.
Source: Philip Jones, 'Consumers of social policy: policy design, policy response, policy approval', Social Policy and Society, Volume 4 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Jul
A book examined the landmark scandals in social policy, such as the Victoria Climbi? case. It showed how scandals were generated, for what purposes they were used, and whose interests they were made to serve.
Source: Ian Butler and Mark Drakeford, Scandal, Social Policy and Social Welfare (second edition), Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Jul
A paper examined the factors that could help, or inhibit, a positive contribution to policy-making by outsiders working in Whitehall.
Source: Ruth Levitt and William Solesbury, Evidence-informed Policy: What difference do outsiders in Whitehall make?, Working Paper 23, Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice/University of London (020 7882 7657)
Links: Link removed
Date: 2005-Jun
A new book (by a group of Conservative Party politicians) analyzed the Conservative Party performance in the 2005 General Election. It presented a series of policy ideas on health, education, crime, local government, and constitutional reform - based on the common theme of devolving power to individuals and local communities.
Source: Douglas Carswell MP et al., Direct Democracy: An agenda for a new model party, Direct Democracy, available from Telegraph Books (0870 161 3344)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jun
A book chapter examined whether Labour governments since 1997 had projected a coherent approach to social policy.
Source: Peter Robinson and Kate Stanley, 'A progressive consensus in the making?', Social Policy Review 17: Analysis and debate in social policy, 2005, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Table of contents
Date: 2005-Jun
An article said that efforts should be made to ensure that policies and practices were informed by rigorous, transparent, and up-to-date evaluations of relevant empirical evidence. Critiques of this approach based solely on theory were unhelpful in efforts to protect the public from harmful and useless interventions.
Source: Iain Chalmers, 'If evidence-informed policy works in practice, does it matter if it doesn't work in theory?', Evidence & Policy, Volume 1 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-May
An article discussed the methodological challenges and practical problems that arose from an evidence-based approach to policy research, based on experiences of identifying and reviewing evidence on the effectiveness of labour market interventions (aimed at people with a disability or a chronic illness).
Source: Clare Bambra, 'Reviewing the evidence: reflections from experience', Evidence & Policy, Volume 1 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-May
The Government Chief Scientific Adviser began consultation on potential revisions to the guidelines covering the use of scientific analysis in government policy-making. The document highlighted the need for analysts and policy-makers to be explicit about the level of uncertainty surrounding the evidence they presented.
Source: Guidelines on Scientific Analysis in Policy Making, Office of Science and Technology/Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5686)
Links: Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
An article examined aspects of the debate in education about the role that research evidence could play in policy-making and practice, stressing the wide spectrum of views held by different stakeholders.
Source: Andrew Morris, 'Evidence initiatives: aspects of recent experience in England', Evidence & Policy, Volume 1 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-May
An article said that there were unavoidable limits to the use of externally produced knowledge by government - including democracy; time; the social role of ambiguity; and reflexivity. However, the shift to greater dependence on knowledge was unlikely to reverse, so long as all other areas of economic and social life were changing in tandem towards greater dependence on knowledge and greater awareness of the complexities involved in any production or use of knowledge.
Source: Geoff Mulgan, 'Government, knowledge and the business of policy making: the potential and limits of evidence-based policy', Evidence & Policy, Volume 1 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-May
The three main political parties published their general election manifestos.
Source: Britain Forward Not Back, Labour Party (08705 900200) | Are You Thinking What We're Thinking? It's time for action, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000) | The Real Alternative, Liberal Democrats (020 7222 7999)
Links: Labour Party Manifesto (pdf) | Conservative Party Manifesto (pdf) | Liberal Democrat Manifesto (pdf)
Date: 2005-Apr
An article explored government commitments to include children in social policy decision-making. It said that the participation of children was made difficult by the way representative governments operated in a liberal democracy: but it suggested some ways forward.
Source: Tom Cockburn, 'Children's participation in social policy: inclusion, chimera or authenticity?', Social Policy and Society, Volume 4 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Apr
The Inquiries Bill was given a third reading and received Royal assent. The Act provided a framework for statutory inquiries set up by Ministers into events causing public concern. It gave Ministers powers to exclude the public from all or part of an inquiry, to control publication of the final report, to restrict the publication of documents, and to insist on the omission of crucial evidence from the final report on public interest grounds.
Source: Inquiries Act 2005, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 6 April 2005, columns 1492-1499, TSO
Links: Text of Act | Explanatory notes | Hansard | DCA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Apr
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the Inquiries Bill.
Source: Government Response to the Public Administration Select Committee's First Report of the 2004/05 Session: 'Government by Inquiry', Cm 6481, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report | HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar
An Inquiries Bill was given a second reading. The Bill aimed to provide a comprehensive statutory framework for inquiries set by Ministers to look into matters of public concern.
Source: Inquiries Bill [HL], Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 15 March 2005, columns 149-218, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard | HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2005-Mar
An article analyzed the core sources of evidence that were claimed to underpin the wide-ranging reforms of the criminal justice system under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. It argued that the processes of evidence collection and deployment were framed in such a way that critical evidence that questioned the wisdom of many of the planned reforms (on the grounds that they would cause miscarriages of justice) was completely disregarded.
Source: Michael Naughton, 'Evidence-based policy and the government of the criminal justice system - only if the evidence fits!', Critical Social Policy, Volume 25 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Feb
An article discussed where evidence was needed in the policy-making process, and the nature of the evidence base for strategy and policy. Working relationships between policy-makers and their advisers were key: as policy-makers come from a variety of backgrounds, developing a common language helped set discussions about the robustness of the evidence base on a sound footing. The article identified five components of robustness, proposed a series of questions that could be used to address them, and discussed the implications for the processes of policy-making.
Source: Louise Shaxson, 'Is your evidence robust enough? Questions for policy makers and practitioners', Evidence & Policy, Volume 1 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Jan
A new book considered key issues in the politics of evaluation, including: governance and evaluation; participatory evaluation; partnerships and evaluation; and learning from evaluation. It emphasized the political context of evaluation; presented an original framework for analyzing evaluation, and suggestions for reflective and critical practice; discussed the relationship between evaluation and evidence; demonstrated the difficulties and opportunities involved in evaluation; and related evaluation to current policies and practice.
Source: David Taylor and Susan Balloch (eds.), The Politics of Evaluation: Participation and policy implementation, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Jan