Evaluation Specialist

Evaluation Specialist

• Location: UK-based (non-negotiable)
• Duration: Fixed-term contract until the end of 2025

Job description

Apolitical is partnering with a UK government department to appoint an Evaluation Specialist who will play a pivotal role in advancing the effectiveness of writing training programmes for UK public servants.

In this role, you will design and support user testing of a robust evaluation toolkit to measure writing skills, enabling the systematic assessment of training impact across diverse UK civil service contexts. You will design a range of data collection tools and accompanying guidance, enabling local Learning and Development (L&D) leads to gather, analyse, and report data in a manner that is both standardised and sensitive to local needs.

Responsibilities will include

• Lead the design of a comprehensive evaluation toolkit to measure the impact of writing training in a UK civil service context.
• Conduct a full review of existing materials relevant to the project, including a literature review and Theory of Change, and make recommendations for further scoping work to develop the toolkit.
• Design and develop the toolkit’s format, content, and guidance in collaboration with the Apolitical team and Government Skills’ stakeholders. This will include creating resources to help users plan and conduct evaluations of writing skills training in government.
• Identify and adapt existing data collection tools (from the evidence base or elsewhere) for inclusion in the toolkit, and where no suitable tools exist, design new ones that align with the Theory of Change and the Skills and Capability framework.
• Independently validate all new data collection tools (e.g., surveys, interview guides, focus group guides, pre- and post-knowledge assessments) using appropriate statistical methods to test validity and reliability, and ensuring content accuracy without reliance on additional SMEs.
• Ensure the toolkit enables local L&D leads to collect, analyse, and report data in a consistent and standardised way across different locations.
• Provide expert advice on technical evaluation methodologies, ensuring alignment with government best practices and standards.
• Work closely with colleagues developing a writing skills and capability framework to understand the intended outcomes and definitions, ensuring these are reflected in the evaluation measures and approaches within the toolkit.

Person specification

• Strong technical knowledge and prior experience in a range of research and evaluation methods; this should include experimental, quasi-experimental and theory-based evaluation designs, as laid out in the Magenta Book, as well as other quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Experience of independently developing data collection tools and applying appropriate statistical methods to validate them, ensuring they are valid and reliable, is essential.
• Strong technical knowledge and prior experience in systematic approaches to synthesising existing literature.
• Experience working in a team, including with colleagues across government and from non-social research professions, to design evaluation projects and build the capacity of others to conduct evaluation.
• Experience communicating evaluation plans, findings, and recommendations clearly to diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with UK government evaluation standards, governance, and reporting requirements is non-negotiable, such as the Magenta Book.

What else you need to know

• This is a contract role for a fixed period, with flexible working arrangements.
• The successful candidate will be required to undergo standard security clearance as per UK government requirements.

To apply please send your CV via the 'Apply' button (e: writingevaluationpilot@apolitical.co)

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