Research Digest
International comparison of neonatal services — 21 December 2007
A new study, commissioned by the UK National Audit Office (NAO), analyses the provision of neonatal services in seven countries: the UK nations of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, Canada, Sweden, and Australia. The report aims to provide a compendium of relevant data to facilitate comparisons and benchmarking of neonatal services across countries. It examines trends in high-risk births, the organisation and scale of neonatal services, neonatal transport, costs and best practices. The study found that all countries studied use neonatal networks, although with varying levels of formalisation, that low staffing is a pervasive problem for UK neonatal services, and that a few international regions are leading the way in the development of high-quality neonatal service provision.
Full Report (www.nao.org.uk)
Single Farm Payments in Finland and Germany — 12 December 2007
A new study, commissioned by the UK National Audit Office (NAO), analyses the implementation of the new European Single Payment Scheme of farm payments in Germany and Finland. This scheme was introduced by the European Union in 2003 as a new way of supporting its farmers based on the acreage of land that they own and previous payments they received. The research details the specifics of the national payment systems and implementation processes in Germany and Finland and compares performance. This RAND Europe study follows from one released in 2006, also commissioned by the UK NAO. It examined the specifics of the German payment system and the process of implementation, against the background of difficulties with implementing the scheme in England in 2005.
Full DocumentPrevious Report
Setting the Agenda for an Evidence-based Olympics — 28 November 2007
A new RAND Europe study examines the key policy issues relating to the 2012 Olympic Games and to London as its host city. It is designed to provide planners and other policy-makers with an evidence base on which to make sound and informed decisions, culminating in a safe and successful outcome with long-lasting benefits to London.
RAND 2012 Olympics Web Site
News Release
Tackling Anti-Social Behavior in the UK — 23 February 2007
Antisocial behavior (ASB) is an increasingly key topic of public concern in the UK. The government is introducing new legal instruments and policy initiatives to tackle ASB. A review of the existing literature sheds light on the effectiveness, costs and benefits for intervention.
Full Document
RAND Europe evaluates EC's Scientific Committees in areas of consumer products, and health and environmental risks. — 31 January 2007
RAND Europe released its report conducted for the European Commission's Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General (SANCO). The report provides an interim evaluation of the procedures and functions of the three non-food Scientific Committees that provide the EC with scientific advice on existing and emerging issues related to consumer safety, and health and environmental risks.
RAND Europe's report concluded that the Scientific Committees are functioning adequately so far, and make substantial contributions to the evidence-base upon which related EC decision making relies. However, the evaluation identified practical recommendations, which could lead to improvements in the process of providing scientific advice and its implementation in SANCO policy making.
Full Document
Benchmarking of the use of personal advisers in Jobcentre Plus — 29 November 2006
The UK National Audit Office (NAO) commissioned RAND Europe to benchmark the deployment and management of personal advisers in three employment advice providers: Tomorrow's People, a non-governmental organisation in the United Kingdom; WorkDirections, a private sector provider in the United Kingdom; and the Centrum voor Werk en Inkomen (Centre for Work and Income), an independent government agency (Zelfstandig Bestuursorgaan) in the Netherlands. The main purpose of this study was to identify specific, transferable lessons that could lead to process improvements for Jobcentre Plus, the government employment advice office in the UK. Some of the main findings were : other employment advice providers focus more exclusively on employment advice than Jobcentre Plus; the cost per successful outcome (i.e. unemployed clients placed in employment) of Jobcentre Plus programmes is higher than that of other employment advice providers; and the initiatives of other providers to improve efficiency in the time use of advisers could offer valuable lessons for Jobcentre Plus.
Full DocumentNAO Report (www.nao.org.uk)
RAND Europe contributes research to a UK National Audit Office report assessing the delays in the administration of the 2005 Single Payment Scheme to farmers in England. — 17 October 2005
The UK National Audit Office (NAO) published a 'Value for Money' report today to which RAND Europe contributed research. RAND Europe's study, 'The Introduction of Single Farm Payments (SFP) in Germany' analyses the German experience of implementing the EU's Single Payment Scheme which was done to a similar timescale and on an equivalent basis to the scheme introduced in England earlier this year. The NAO commissioned RAND Europe to undertake a comparative analysis to assess the scheme in England and to learn good practice. The NAO report published today found that the risks and complexities involved in the delivery of SFP in England had been underestimated, causing problems for the farming industry.
Full DocumentNAO Report PDF (www.nao.org.uk)
UK Fares Well in International Benchmark of Fraud and Error in Social Security Systems — 20 November 2006
An international benchmarking study, commissioned by the UK National Audit Office, has found levels of social security fraud and error in the UK to be similar to those in eight comparable countries, including the US, Canada and Ireland. However, the UK government agency responsible for administering social security benefit, the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP), has a better understanding of the fraud and error problem than equivalent agencies in the countries surveyed, and is doing more to monitor and prevent customer and official error, while combating fraud.
Full Report (PDF)News Release (www.nao.org.uk)
Bertelsmann Foundation publishes study by RAND Europe and Potsdam University — 10 January 2006
This study examined the effectiveness of "better regulation" policies namely, sunset provisions and related review (or evaluation) clauses. "Sunset" provisions require regulations (or programmes or agencies) to expire after a specified number of years (unless renewed by law); review clauses call for an evaluation rather than the termination of the law or programme.
Read MoreFull Report (German with English summary)
Use of Evidence in Illegal Drug Classification — 03 March 2006
Four case studies examine the scientific, medical and social harms caused by illegal drugs, and the issues surrounding the types of evidence used in classifying them. The studies focus on drug policy making in the UK, with comparisons to the U.S., Netherlands, and Sweden.
Full Document
Archive
Tackling complexity: ways to achieve greater benefit RAND Europe informs NAO report for Department for Work and Pensions — 1
December 2005
In partnership with RAND Europe, the UK's National Audit Office (NAO) recently published a report focusing on the complexity of the benefits system for which the UK's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible. Entitled
Dealing with the complexity of the benefits system, the study provides an overview of how complex the benefits system is and how that complexity came to be. The study then attempts to ascertain the extent of unnecessary complexity of the benefits system, why much of it remains and what action could be taken to simplify the system.
Key findings from RAND Europe's research are the following:
- Whilst the benefits system is complex and service delivery thereby suffers, there is some justification for its complexity.
- Scope for simplification exists, although efforts undertaken in this regard need thoughtful consideration. Overly simplistic measures can impede the system as much as complex ones. Efforts to simplify the system require more precise measurement of complexity and its consequences.
- Further efforts from DWP should be directed to doing more of what has worked and equally, to exploring creative, new approaches where previous efforts have fallen short of expectations.
The report was published by the NAO, in the name of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Researchers at the Leiden and Cambridge offices of RAND Europe performed research and analysis to support and formulate the conclusions and recommendations in the report. For further RAND Europe information, contact
James P. Kahan.
NAO Report
From Advocacy to Accountability:
The Trend in Health Research Evaluation — 1 December 2005
RAND Europe researcher presented views on trends in measuring the benefits from health research expenditure at an international conference of experts in New Zealand.
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European Parliament Adopted EC Report on Paediatric Medicines Informed by RAND Europe's Ex-ante Assessment — 29 August 2005
There is a serious lack of testing of medicinal products for children. The European Commission (EC) has attempted to provide a structural solution by drafting a European Parliament and Council Regulation on medicinal products for such paediatric use. In 2004, RAND Europe performed an ex-ante assessment focusing on the economic, social, sustainable, and environmental impacts of the Regulation to be promulgated by the European Commission. The assessment indicates that the proposed Regulation will achieve its objectives, although the effects will vary. RAND Europe's report provided input for the extended impact assessment of the European Commission and the proposed paediatric Regulation was accepted in September 2004. Recently, the European Parliament adopted the report on paediatric medicines, encouraging the pharmaceuticals industry to change its attitude, essentially by extending the life of patents or supplementary protection certificates by six months.
Read ReportRelated Information
New RAND Europe Research Reveals the Need to Improve Policy Evaluation in the Netherlands — 25 August 2005
Findings of a new RAND Europe report raises questions about the quality and coordination of ex-post evaluation of Dutch government policies. With an increased focus on 'better regulation' and strengthening evidence-based policy making in Europe, policy evaluation is a critical means to improve the quality and accountability of policies. The report also highlights the need to develop an evaluation 'culture' characterised by objectivity, transparency and credibility in making informed policies and regulations.
Read Report
MRC Takes Forward RAND Recommendations on Unit Reviews — 6 August 2005
In late 2004 RAND Europe conducted a study which intended to inform the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) by proposing and appraising options for reviewing the performance of their research units. The final report presented two possible models for unit review, which intended to stimulate discussion and debate, rather than setting out two definitive and exclusive options. It was envisaged that a future review process could draw on elements from both models. MRC Council considered the report at its meeting in February 2005 and agreed that any future system was likely to include aspects of each model. The MRC Steering Group on Unit Reviews is now working on the detail of how unit reviews might operate in the future, building on the RAND report.
Read ReportMRC Report
Delivering Public Services to a Diverse Society: A Joint NAO - RAND Europe report — 10 Dec 2004
Responding to an increasingly diverse society is essential if public services are to meet their full potential. A joint UK National Audit Office (NAO) - RAND Europe study published today examines the way in which government bodies are taking steps to better tailor their services to the needs of diverse groups. The report is based on a survey of 131 government bodies, interviews with both public sector staff and stakeholder groups, case studies of successful UK government initiatives and reviews of international good practice.
National Audit Office Report Read article at guardian.co.uk
Consultation on approaches for MRC Unit reviews — 18 Nov 2004
RAND Europe, on behalf of the UK's Medical Research Council, is assessing how its Units can be reviewed. As part of this study, a consultative document has been released that includes five approaches for Unit Reviews.
MRC
Unit Review Site
Improving IT Procurement: A Joint NAO - RAND Europe report — 5 Nov 2004
A joint UK National Audit Office (NAO) - RAND Europe study reported today on progress made by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) to improve the procurement of information technology (IT) systems by departments and agencies. The report concluded that OGC has put structures in place to minimize the risk of future IT failure and that department and supplier behaviour is positively changing, but that the OGC and departments need to ensure that this momentum is maintained for improvements in IT procurement to be realised.
National Audit Office Report
RAND Europe helps arthritis sufferers and the science community with new research analysis — 23 Sep 2004
A new study by RAND Europe on behalf of the Arthritis Research Campaign has found that biomedical research grants can be evaluated to see the results they produce. The report suggests that the process could be applied to other research bodies and government agencies to evaluate value for money achieved by research.
Full Document News Summary
Study helps UK National Audit Office analyse use of research in policy making — 15 Apr 2003
How do government departments in the United Kingdom commission research, and how well is that research being used to improve service delivery and develop policies?
News Summary
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