The Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN)

Source: Welcome to CECAN | CECAN

The Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus (CECAN), a £3m research centre hosted by the University of Surrey, is transforming the practice of policy evaluation in Nexus areas, to make it fit for a complex world.

CECAN is pioneering, testing and promoting innovative policy evaluation approaches and methods across Nexus domains such as food, energy, water and the environment, through a series of ‘real-life’ case study projects with co-funders (ESRC, NERC, DEFRA, BEIS, FSA and EA).

CECAN has been delivering a programme of evaluation methods workshops, training courses in evaluation tools and specialist seminars delivered by international experts, to encourage knowledge sharing and capacity building amongst those working in UK policy making.

Resources – https://www.cecan.ac.uk/resources?fbclid=IwAR053DvRhdfKIXMww1I_H6i4Eo4R8qAeGTo7qvcV0AfuPavFZP9gJNgdniE

CECAN is producing a variety of resources available for download from this page. They are all available under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 licence.

CECAN’s Updated Manifesto, April 2018 Version 2.0

Policy Evaluation for a Complex World

CECAN Syllabus

Evaluation of Complex Policy and Programmes: A CECAN module for future policy analysts and evaluators – Dr Corinna Elsenbroich, Prof. Nigel Gilbert, Dr Dione Hills, Dr Emma Uprichard

CECAN Managing Conflicts of Interest

Identifying and managing conflicts of interest in the work of CECAN

CECAN Toolkits

Dr Barbara Befani’s Bayes Formula Confidence Updater Spreadsheet

CECAN EPPNs

CECAN has launched a Policy and Practice Note Series, with e-versions available to download.

1. Qualitative Comparative Analysis: A Pragmatic Method for Evaluating Intervention – Professor David Byrne, Durham University (Lead)
2. Agent Based Modelling for Evaluation – Helen Wilkinson, Risk Solutions (Lead)
3. Dependency Models – Dr Emma Uprichard, Warwick University (Lead)
4. Testing Contribution Claims with Bayesian Updating – Dr Barbara Befani, University of Surrey (Lead)
5. Learning Lessons for Evaluating Complexity Across the Nexus – Dr Clare Twigger-Ross, Bill Sheate – Collingwood Environmental Planning (Lead)
6. Dynamic Pattern Synthesis – Professor Phil Haynes, University of Brighton (Lead)
7. Revaluation: A Participative Approach to Measuring and Making Change – Andrew Darnton, AD Research & Analysis (Lead)
8. Maximising Impact from Evaluations in Complex Policy Areas – Dr Karen Scott, University of Exeter (Lead)
9. Managing Deep Uncertainty: Exploratory Modelling, Adaptive Plans and Decision Support – Dr Jan Kwakkel, Delft University of Technology
10. Evaluating complex policy for rural development at a time of dynamic change – Frances Rowe, Newcastle University (Lead)
11. Evaluating Complexity in Context using Qualitative Comparative Analysis: The Environment Agency and Waste Crime – Amy Proctor, Newcastle University (Lead)
12. Negotiating Complexity in Evaluation Planning: A Participatory Systems Map of the Energy Trilemma – Dr Pete Barbrook-Johnson, University of Surrey

CECAN Project Reports

Learning Lessons for Evaluating Complexity at the Nexus – A meta-evaluation of CEP projects (Collingwood Environmental Planning)
CECAN and NEKS held a workshop with senior infrastructure experts and academics to explore the issues around the relationships between public infrastructure and private finance over the life of infrastructure projects. Here is a link to the report from this workshop.
Richard Gunton, CECAN Fellow, gave a talk at the ‘Valuing Nature’ event in Edinburgh. The slides from his presentation are available to download here.
Sara Giorgi, CECAN Fellow, has completed her project “How to Improve the Evaluation of Complex Systems to Better Inform Policymaking: Learning From Evaluating DEFRA’s Reward and Recognition Fund. Sara’s final report is available to download here.
To access the Summary Report following the CECAN International Symposium held in November 2017, please click here. Furthermore, links to the presentations that were given at the Symposium are available to download here.
Joanna Boehnert, CECAN Fellow, has completed her project and her final poster depicting the visualisation of complexity, can be downloaded here.
A participatory systems map of the Energy Trilemma – A CECAN report for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy by Pete Barbrook-Johnson and Alex Penn. To download a high resolution version of the map, please click here.