Practical evaluation tools

Our policing logic model can be used to:

• evaluate a project, policy or tactic
• create a framework to plan a new intervention

The logic model shows how to think critically about the links between a problem, intervention and measures of success. This can show how and why the intervention might work. It can also help you show the potential value of your project to others.

The policing evaluation toolkit includes evaluation design and implementation strategies. These can be used by practitioners and researchers to make sure that evaluations are designed well and enable strong statements of causal impact.

The toolkit can help you to:

• assess whether an intervention is effective and the strength of its impact
• identify the most effective practices and guide future decisions
• effectively prioritise your resources

Project review checklists

We have also developed project review checklists. If you don't have research training, the checklists can help you to effectively evaluate a project specification or bid.

• Project quality checklist – use this to identify whether a proposed project or programme has been designed appropriately. It can be used on its on or alongside the project potential checklist.

• Project potential checklist – use this to understand whether a project or programme is likely to generate evidence of effectiveness. It can be used on its on or alongside the project quality checklist.

• System change checklist – use this to understand the quality of a propose system change project, for example, the introduction of a new IT system.

Cost-benefit tools such as the Manning cost-benefit tool (MCBT) can help you make more accurate cost-benefit assessments. The MCBT can be used to:

• calculate total expenditure on one or more interventions or programmes (part one)
• compare average annual expenditure before and after the introduction of an intervention (part one)
• estimate how much it will cost to implement an intervention in a different context (part two) 

The MCBT was developed by the Commissioned Partnership Programme for the What Works Centre for Crime reduction.