Evaluation Action Plan executive summary

Our vision and overarching goal for this Action Plan is that it facilitates proportionate, good quality evaluation evidence generation and application across the FSA. This is rooted in our belief, as articulated in the FSA Strategy, that effective policy and regulation needs to be evidence led. Monitoring and evaluation is one source of the evidence needed to guide our work. It allows for systematic learning from past and current activities, facilitates understanding of what works, why and for whom, and supports the effective use of public funds and proportionate regulation.

This Action Plan builds on existing monitoring and evaluation activities conducted by the FSA and is intended to complement benefits measurement activities already undertaken within the organisation. It sets out a framework to support FSA colleagues in identifying and prioritising areas for evaluation, guides evaluation approaches and outlines actions that will support high quality evaluations across the FSA.

The success of this Action Plan relies on further strengthening evaluation capability and skills within the FSA and the fermentation of an evaluation mindset among staff. This is already facilitated by the FSA’s existing activities, including our established performance reporting systems, commitments to measuring progress and track record of conducting evaluations. These activities will be further supported by the implementation of the actions recommended in this plan.

This is a living document and will be periodically reviewed to ensure it is fit for purpose and having the intended impact. We will work to deliver the recommended actions listed in this document to ensure the FSA becomes known across government for the high quality of its evaluation activities.