Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (Legacy funding scheme)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Surrey
Department Name: Sociology
Abstract
Since 2016, CECAN has established a reputation and 'brand' in the public sector and is the focal point for a wide network interested in the application of complexity and systems thinking in government. The overall aim of this proposal for Legacy funding is to maintain and enhance these, while continuing to provide resources for those wanting to learn more about or develop methods for the evaluation of complexity in public policy.
Our plans therefore encompass knowledge dissemination and exchange activities; user engagement; support for PGRs and ECR training; social media and web outreach; and support of activities that will promote and support related research.
The continuation of CECAN will have significant support from the host institution, the University of Surrey, with ESRC's contribution matched from the University's own funds. In addition the University will provide 20% of the Director's time at no cost to the ESRC, and will not charge indirect or estate costs.
The University of Surrey will also set aside a budget from its core funding to appoint a Deputy Director of CECAN at an appropriate level. The person appointed, who would become a tenured member of the faculty, would be in line to take over the Directorship if the current Director, Prof. Gilbert, were to step down during the period of Legacy funding.
Our plans therefore encompass knowledge dissemination and exchange activities; user engagement; support for PGRs and ECR training; social media and web outreach; and support of activities that will promote and support related research.
The continuation of CECAN will have significant support from the host institution, the University of Surrey, with ESRC's contribution matched from the University's own funds. In addition the University will provide 20% of the Director's time at no cost to the ESRC, and will not charge indirect or estate costs.
The University of Surrey will also set aside a budget from its core funding to appoint a Deputy Director of CECAN at an appropriate level. The person appointed, who would become a tenured member of the faculty, would be in line to take over the Directorship if the current Director, Prof. Gilbert, were to step down during the period of Legacy funding.
Organisations
Publications
Breeze P
(2023)
Guidance on the use of complex systems models for economic evaluations of public health interventions
in Health Economics
Squires H
(2023)
The long-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of public health interventions; how can we model behavior? A review.
in Health economics
Wentworth J
(2023)
What is a just transition for environmental targets?
Yao R
(2023)
Applications of Agent-Based Methods in Multi-Energy Systems-A Systematic Literature Review
in Energies
| Description | CECAN Ltd Bespoke training for the Office of Environmental Protection, February - March 2024 |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | commercial sensitive |
| Description | Handling Complexity in Policy Evaluation Online Workshop: Module One - Complexity and its Challenges for Policy and Evaluation, Online, 21 Jun 2023, Stuart Astill and Alex Penn |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Learning Outcomes: By the end of this workshop, participants will: Be aware of the main properties of complex systems and be able to recognise these in policy-making processes and their own work, Have a shared language for discussing and exploring complexity, Understand the implications of complex systems for policy-making, analysis and evaluation - the importance of context, the limitations in complex settings of 'traditional' standardising and controlling approaches and the need for flexibility in managing and delivering evaluations. Intended Audience: These workshops are designed to support policy makers, analysts and evaluators at all levels facing complexity challenges in their current work. |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/handling-complexity-in-policy-evaluation-online-workshop-module-one-c... |
| Description | Handling Complexity in Policy Evaluation Online Workshop: Module Three - Commissioning and Managing a Complex Evaluation, Online, 18 Jul 2023, Georgie Parry-Crooke and Clare Twigger-Ross |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Learning Outcomes: By the end of this workshop, participants will: Understand what it means to manage in complexity and how this applies to commissioning and managing a complex evaluation. Have a shared framework for commissioning and managing complex evaluations. Be able to specify the policy/project/programme complexity to contractors and clarify what is expected from them. Understand how the contracting relationship can accommodate the complex nature of the evaluation (e.g. non- linear, adaptive and dealing with the unexpected). Intended Audience: These workshops are designed to support policy makers, analysts and evaluators at all levels facing complexity challenges in their current work. |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/handling-complexity-in-policy-evaluation-online-workshop-module-three... |
| Description | Handling Complexity in Policy Evaluation Online Workshop: Module Two - Selecting an Appropriate Evaluation Approach, Online, 6 Jul 2023, Helen Wilkinson and Richard Allen |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | Learning Outcomes: By the end of this workshop, participants will: Understand the importance of using a complexity-appropriate approach to evaluation Be aware of the breadth and diversity of approaches that can be used in complex settings Be equipped with a set of tools that help identify an appropriate approach or approaches based on the evaluation purpose, the complexity attributes present, and the feasibility of approach for intended use. Intended Audience: These workshops are designed to support policy makers, analysts and evaluators at all levels facing complexity challenges in their current work. |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/handling-complexity-in-policy-evaluation-online-workshop-module-two-s... |
| Description | UKES / CECAN Online Masterclass - Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), Online, 13 Sep 2023, Corinna Elsenbroich |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | By the end of this session, participants will: Understand why and where QCA is a useful method Be able to prepare data for use in a QCA Have basic understanding of the fsQCA software for application for QCA |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/ukes-cecan-online-masterclass-qualitative-comparative-analysis-qca-7/ |
| Description | UKES / CECAN Online Masterclass - Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), Online, 5 Mar 2024, Corinna Elsenbroich |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | By the end of this session, participants will: Understand why and where QCA is a useful method Be able to prepare data for use in a QCA Have basic understanding of the fsQCA software for application for QCA |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/ukes-cecan-online-masterclass-qualitative-comparative-analysis-qca-8/ |
| Description | CECAN Blog (active and ongoing) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The CECAN blog has been active and continually updated since 2016 (see previous awards for further details). Members of the CECAN Team, CECAN Fellows, CECAN Partners and others regularly contribute to the CECAN Blog, which can be found on the CECAN website. Recent additions to the blog include: 'Can we generate value profiles from policy documents?' (11 Oct 2023). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/blog/ |
| Description | CECAN News Update - July 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | CECAN's newsletter is sent approximately every 3-4 months to the CECAN mailing list, which includes over 1000 members (e.g. policymakers, policy analysts, evaluation professionals) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://mailchi.mp/ff3caea8608e/46i5hbo49y-6274121 |
| Description | CECAN Newsletter - December 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | CECAN's newsletter is sent approximately every 3-4 months to the CECAN mailing list, which includes over 1000 members (e.g. policymakers, policy analysts, evaluation professionals) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://mailchi.mp/29991b1f1aa9/46i5hbo49y-6656070 |
| Description | CECAN Newsletter - February 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | CECAN's newsletter is sent approximately every 3-4 months to the CECAN mailing list, which includes over 1000 members (e.g. policymakers, policy analysts, evaluation professionals) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://mailchi.mp/12a2dc187496/46i5hbo49y-6701130 |
| Description | CECAN Twitter |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | CECAN Twitter: CECAN has a Twitter account @cecanexus which is regularly used to post about CECAN events, seminars, blogs, papers, policy practice notes, other achievements. As of 29 Feb 2024, the account has 1,756 Followers, is following 259 accounts and has made 1,121 Tweets. Almost all Tweets indicate some level of engagement with Followers. NOTE that this Twitter account started under CECAN1 in 2016 and has run continuously ever since. As advised by ESRC, all impacts from 1 March 2023 are recorded under CECAN's legacy funding, ES/Y001907/1 hence this new entry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/cecanexus |
| Description | CECAN Webinar: Demystifying system thinking from within Defra - Reflections from case studies, Online, 12 Dec 2023, 9.30am, Dan McGonigle and Betheney Wills |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presenters: Dan McGonigle and Betheney Wills (Defra) Webinar Overview: Environmental policy is inherently complex. Outcomes on biodiversity, water quality, air quality, net zero, climate adaptation and food security are interdependent and affected in different ways by many interacting drivers. Policymakers need to consider where to intervene to meet goals whilst avoiding unexpected trade-offs. Defra established its systems research programme in 2019 to help the department navigate such complexity. Since then, a wide range of systems projects have been undertaken covering various aspects of Defra's remit and applying a range of systems methodologies. Dan McGonigle will talk through some of the insights that have been gained through this work and some reflections on applying systems approaches to policy problems. To compliment the work of Defra's system research programme, Betheney has championed system thinking, with a focus on causal mapping, within the Marine and Fisheries Directorate. Betheney will reflect on multiple dependency and Participatory System Mapping exercises she has facilitated and led, spanning both evidence and policy programmes. Betheney will also touch on other approaches applied to spread system thinking, including the formation, and running of the Ocean Sustainability system book club. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/cecan-webinar-demystifying-system-thinking-from-within-defra-reflecti... |
| Description | CECAN Webinar: New Economic Models of the Energy Transition, Online, 26 Sep 2023, 1pm, Pete Barbrook-Johnson, Simon Sharpe, Femke Nijsse and Fernanda Senra de Moura |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presenters: Dr. Pete Barbrook-Johnson (University of Oxford), Simon Sharpe (UNFCCC Climate Champions and WRI), Dr. Femke Nijsse (University of Exeter), and Dr. Fernanda Senra de Moura (University of Oxford) Webinar Overview: This webinar will present work from the Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) project, a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Children's Investment Fund Foundation funded project applying complexity and systems approaches in ex ante appraisal of energy and climate policy. With partners in China, India, Brazil, and the UK, they have implemented a range of policy-led case studies applying methods such as systems mapping, agent-based modelling, system dynamics, and disequilibrium macroeconomic modelling. In this webinar, the presenters will: Share some of their most pertinent examples relevant to CECAN; Introduce their broader complexity-appropriate approach to appraisal, known as 'risk-opportunity analysis' (an expanded form of cost-benefit analysis); and Attempt to draw connections across the policy cycle with the work of CECAN. You can read more about EEIST's work at https://eeist.co.uk/eeist-reports/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/cecan-webinar-new-economic-models-of-the-energy-transition/ |
| Description | CECAN Webinar: SIPHER's Synthetic Population - An Introduction, Online, 24 Feb 2024, 1pm, Nik Lomax |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presenter: Nik Lomax (Professor of Population Geography at the University of Leeds, Co-Director of the Consumer Data Research Centre and Co-Investigator for the SIPHER Consortium). Webinar Overview: Systems Science in Public Health and Health Economics Research (SIPHER) is a research consortium which uses systems science methods to support policy decision making with the aim of improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. In this presentation, Nik will provide an overview of SIPHER's synthetic population, including how it was developed, how it can be used to support decision making as well as strengths and limitations. The lack of a comprehensive register-based system in Great Britain has made it challenging to access data on individuals across multiple domains. The synthetic population helps bridge this gap by providing a representative, attribute-rich dataset representing individuals within the whole of the GB population that can be used for micro-level modelling. It is constructed from Understanding Society, Census and mid-year estimate data with spatial identifiers for Lower Super Output Areas in England and Wales and Data Zones in Scotland. The synthetic dataset will be of use to anyone who wishes to understand the spatial distribution of attributes including health, housing status, education and employment. It can be used to assess the spatial and sub-group impact that a policy might have. The data can be accessed via the UK data Service as CSV files which means users can analyse the data using their statistical package of choice. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/cecan-webinar-siphers-synthetic-population-an-introduction/ |
| Description | CECAN Webinar: Setting Boundaries in Evaluation; The role of Critical Systems Heuristics, Online, 18 Oct 2023, 10am, Bob Williams |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presenter: Bob Williams, Evaluator Webinar Overview: Evaluation is all about selecting boundaries. Establishing the purposes of the evaluation, determining the criteria used to evaluate it and working out who should benefit from the evaluation, are all about deciding what is 'in' and what is 'out'. Furthermore, we are inevitably evaluating the boundary decisions taken (or imposed on) the evaluand. C West Churchman, Professor of Management at Berkeley University, argued that these choices are not only technical but deeply ethical; there will be winners and losers from these decisions. And thus argued that key boundary decisions should be subjected to critical appraisal. But what are they? In the complexity of this range of boundary choices, each impacting on other boundary choices, it is difficult to identify what the critical boundary choices are - and what they ought to be. Social researcher and evaluator, Werner Ulrich, developed Critical Systems Heuristics based on Churchman's ideas. The heuristics comprise 12 questions grouped around four core decision areas that every endeavour undertakes. These questions challenge evaluators to think deeply about the purposes of their evaluations and the criteria they develop to achieve those purposes. This interactive presentation will use a case example to explore the use of Critical Systems Heuristics in evaluation design, implementation and reporting. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.cecan.ac.uk/events/cecan-webinar-setting-boundaries-in-evaluation-the-role-of-critical-s... |
| Description | Liz Varga was invited to present to Modelling World 2023, 'Agent Based Models for infrastructure modelling', 3 Nov 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Liz Varga presented as part of Modelling World 2023 on 'Agent Based Models for infrastructure modelling', held in Birmingham from 2 - 3 Nov. The presentation was held on 3 Nov at 11:30am. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.modelling-world.com/conference-programme-2023 |