Experts welcome DSIT’s Evaluation Strategy but call for greater focus on high-quality data
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has unveiled its first Evaluation Strategy, setting a new standard for assessing the impact of its policies and programmes. The strategy reinforces the importance of high-quality evaluation to deliver meaningful change and better outcomes for society.
But without high-quality data, even the most sophisticated evaluation methodologies risk falling short.
Nick Posford, Executive Director of the UK Evaluation Society commented: “The UK Evaluation Society welcomes the first evaluation strategy from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. We’re delighted to see this vital step towards strengthening the role evaluation plays to ensure policy and program decisions are grounded in strong evidence.”
With growing discussions about the use of AI in evaluation, the quality and ethical use of data remain hot topics for evaluators.
“Successful evaluations rely heavily on the availability and use of high-quality data. Greater emphasis must be placed on ensuring robust data infrastructure, improving data collection methods, and investing in harnessing the breadth of quantitative and qualitative data to create meaningful value…”
Nick Posford
Executive Director, UK Evaluation Society
Nick continued, “Successful evaluations rely heavily on the availability and use of high-quality data. Greater emphasis must be placed on ensuring robust data infrastructure, improving data collection methods, and investing in harnessing the breadth of quantitative and qualitative data to create meaningful value. We encourage anyone interested in the future of data and evaluation to join us at the UK Evaluation Society’s 2025 conference, Data in Focus, in May.”
The UK Evaluation Society’s 2025 conference, Data in Focus, brings together professionals from across government, academia, and industry, seeking to address the pressing challenges of data quality in evaluation. With the growing demand for evidence-based policymaking, the event will provide a crucial platform for debate, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration.