Guidance: The Magenta Book

HM Treasury guidance on what to consider when designing an evaluation.

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

The Magenta Book provides guidance on evaluation in government: its scoping, design, conduct, use and dissemination as well as the capabilities required of government evaluators. It provides guidance on how to incorporate evaluation through the design, implementation, delivery and review stages of policy making. It also explains how results can be interpreted and presented, and what should be considered in this process.

The Book is written for the policy, delivery and analytical professions, all of which are responsible for securing and using good evidence. Evaluation should be built into an intervention’s design and delivery from the earliest stages, increasing understanding of who is affected and in what way.

Along with the Magenta Book, Annex A provides detailed guidance on the range of evaluation methods and there are several supplementary guides to specific types of evaluations that are appropriate for specific contexts. The Analytical Evaluation capabilities framework documents provide guidance on the types of skills government evaluators should have or should try to develop.

Added the document: Magenta Book: Central Government guidance on evaluation (HTML)

Replaced the documents with the latest version: Magenta Book: Central Government guidance on evaluation Magenta Book Annex A analytical methods for use within an evaluation Added the documents: Transparency in Government Evaluation Research (T I G E R) Test and Learn