This Handbook uses methodologies and cases to discover how and when to evaluate social policy, and looks at the possible impacts of evaluation on social policy decisions. The contributors present a detailed analysis on how to conduct social policy evaluation, how to be aware of pitfalls and dilemmas and how to use evidence effectively.

Organized into three thematic sections, this new resource includes contributions from a variety of researchers from a range of disciplines and countries. The first section explores evaluation and examples of methods used; the second focuses on the intersection between evaluation and policy-making; and the third delves into current social policy in order to discover the use of evaluation within central welfare state policies. One conclusion found is that welfare states are increasingly using evidence, but that it varies from and within different welfare areas.

Researchers and students with an interest in evaluation and social policy analysis, as well as policy-makers and administrators in need of evidence and analysis on the subject, will find much value in this clear and precise overview of the use and misuse of evidence.

Contributors include: K. Bakhai, M. Barnard, A.E. Boardman, R. Boruch, K.N. Breidahl, C. Brown, M. Calnan, E. Cassells, M. Costa, C. Deeming, P. Dahler-Larsen, T. Douglass, J. Edbrooke-Childs, W. Eichhorst, D. Etherington, S. Evans-Lacko, J.-E. Furubo, H. Gaus, M. Gerressu, H. Gleeson, D. Gondek, B. Greve, A. Hagelund, A. Halvorsen, M.B. Hansen, T. Haux, M.A. Hussain, J.M. Hyatt, C. Irish, J. Jacob, H.C. Kavli, M. Knapp, R. Konle-Seidl, M. Lakhanpaul, K. Liket, N. McHugh, C.E. Mueller, L. Richardson, R. Rodrigues, M.J. Roy, S. Sinclair, K. Smith, T. Sundberg, H. Turner, W. Van Lancker, A.R. Vining, J. Warren, I. Whelan, J. Wistow, M. Wolpert, R. Yang