ABSTRACT
The data and analysis that are derived from evaluation research can be used by the agencies concerned as a kind of quality audit, to assess and improve the quality of service they deliver. Alternatively, and increasingly, evaluation research is used by policy-makers and planners at both central and local government level as an aid to strategic decision-making, particularly where important choices have to be made regarding the allocation of public funding. In recent years there has been a tendency for both civil3 and criminal justice systems4 to be (re)assessed in terms of their effectiveness and value for money, and this a tendency that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
