Large-scale social experimentation in Britain: what can and cannot be learnt from the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration?

Greenberg, D. and Morris, S. 2005. Large-scale social experimentation in Britain: what can and cannot be learnt from the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration? Evaluation: International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice. 11 (2), pp. 223-242. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356389005055529

TitleLarge-scale social experimentation in Britain: what can and cannot be learnt from the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration?
AuthorsGreenberg, D. and Morris, S.
Abstract

The Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration programme is a major current welfare-to-work social experiment, the largest random allocation evaluation ever mounted in Great Britain. This article draws on experience gained in designing the ERA Demonstration to explore the strengths and limitations of social experimentation for policy evaluation and analysis. The focus of the discussion is on the reasons for the choice of random allocation as a mean of estimating programme impacts, contrasting this approach with the alternatives. The weaknesses of random allocation designs are also examined in the light of the types of information policy-makers require from evaluations of labour market programmes and social policy demonstrations. The perennial ‘black box’ problem and the difficulties in generalizing from social experiments are given particular prominence.

JournalEvaluation: International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice
Journal citation11 (2), pp. 223-242
ISSN1356-3890
YearApr 2005
PublisherSage
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/1356389005055529
Publication dates
PublishedApr 2005

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