Within the Government People Group of Cabinet Office, Government Skills was set up in 2020 to drive up capability across Government in an evidence-based and impact-led way. Government Skills ensures all civil servants, from entry to most senior leadership, have the core and specialist knowledge, skills and networks they need to deliver great public services and address complex systemic challenges, now and in the future. This work is central to the Cabinet's commitment to building a Productive and Agile State, and supports Mission Delivery by ensuring the workforce has the capability and learning culture to deliver against the Government's missions. 

The Evidence and Impact team within Government Skills is responsible for ensuring that hundreds of millions of pounds of annual spend on developing the skills, knowledge and relationships of the Government workforce is evidence-based and impact-led. We use a combination of analytical methods covering monitoring/data analytics, social research, evaluation, statistics, behavioural and user research, and economic analysis to provide robust, purposeful insights to inform business decisions. Our evidence supports the creation of effective policy and strategy on the future skills needs of the government and wider public sector workforce, and supports effective design, commissioning and delivery of the interventions required to achieve this. The team has a reputation as a centre of expertise supporting the whole of government on these issues, and is expanding as part of plans for the next spending review periods 2025-26 and 2026-29.

As Evidence and Impact Lead you will lead and manage a diverse portfolio of research and evaluation projects which contribute programmatically to the evidence base on 'what works', for who, in what conditions, and why, when building the capability and skills of the civil service and public sector workforce. As part of a diverse, and expanding, analytical team you will work in partnership with other analysts, and with policy and delivery colleagues, to build capacity across the system to develop and mobilise high quality evidence to develop the government and public sector workforce we need to deliver the Government's Missions and other key priorities. 

You will report to the Head of Evidence and Impact and will:

• Lead work to strengthen monitoring, evaluation and impact of skills, learning and development interventions across the Civil Service and with public sector leaders, working across the full cycle of intervention design and delivery. This role will initially particularly focus on the Civil Service Fast Stream and Emerging Talent (apprenticeships; outreach; internships) [FSET] interventions, with a particular focus on strengthening data/monitoring and impact evaluation.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders, including the Deputy Director for FSET, to identify, prioritise and thematically connect longer term and immediate evidence needs and identify and implement robust approaches to address them, using and developing your own knowledge of the evidence base and drawing on appropriate external evidence and expertise.
• Manage internal and external delivery of analysis, ensuring commissioning, delivery and reporting are robust, purposeful, efficient and aligned with the Government Campus Evaluation Strategy and other relevant policies, including the Magenta Book. This is likely to include line management as the team grows. 
• Lead the production of high quality written briefings, business cases and other written outputs, and provide clear and purposeful verbal briefings, to senior leaders, Ministers and policy and delivery colleagues.
• As a member of the Evidence and Impact leadership team, take on a corporate contribution for enabling great evidence and impact work right across the Directorate and with our partners across the Civil Service and public sector. This will include contributing to organisational development, growth and maturity as the team expands over the next four years.

Our team is currently growing and changing as part of wider exciting changes in the way we develop Civil Service and wider public sector capability within the Government's commitment to a productive and agile state. This will create growth and development opportunities within the team, and means that you can expect some flexibility around your role description and portfolio of analysis as the team evolves.

You can find more information about Government Skills on our GOV.UK page: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-skills-and-curriculum-unit including about our team: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/evidence-based-learning-and-development and our current Evaluation Strategy: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-campus-evaluation-strategy. 

Essential:

• Strong technical knowledge of relevant evaluation and social research methods including knowledge of experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation designs, other quantitative and qualitative methods and approaches to evidence synthesis.
• Established track record of successfully designing, implementing, managing and delivering research and/or evaluation projects, including complex projects. This should include experience of translating business requirements into robust specifications that will meet customer needs, and managing resources and teams and/or external contractors to deliver high quality, purposeful and timely products.
• Established track record of managing a diverse portfolio of research/evaluation work whilst delivering at pace, and of managing work flexibly to adapt as priorities change.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate technical information on evaluations to non-specialists in ways that are easily understood and to influence others to support the delivery and use of robust and purposeful research and evaluation.
• Strong collaboration skills, able to understand others' work, priorities and perspectives and able to bring together flexible, multi-professional teams which deliver against shared objectives.

Desirable:

• Knowledge or experience of the evidence base and research and evaluation methods and measures used in research into professional learning/organisational change, educational evaluation or psychology/learning sciences. 

To hold this post you must obtain CTC level security clearance. You must be prepared to apply for SC level clearance whilst in post, to give you access to certain data sets to use in analysis.

Qualifications and memberships:

Candidates must be eligible to be badged into the Government Social Research profession, unless they are already badged into a different Government Analytical profession or are a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, and meet all the requirements outlined in the person specification (in this case, please be prepared to show evidence of your badging). 

Being part of an analytical profession supports you to build your professional networks, develop your career and stay in touch with best practice.

Please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-government-social-research-profession-membership/government-social-research-membership-and-eligibility-guidance#introduction and ensure you review the eligibility requirements for GSR professional membership and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-government-social-research-competency-framework to ensure you meet the requirements for an Grade 7 role within the GSR technical framework.

Unless you are already badged into a relevant Government Analytical profession, your eligibility to be badged as a Government Social Researcher at Grade 7 will be assessed as part of the recruitment process. If you are appointed you are required to pass the GSR knowledge test in order to be badged. We will arrange this assessment for you.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Job contact :

• Name : Siobhan Dickens
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]