Research activity
Research and due diligence activity should take place at the beginning of a programme, before the process of more detailed policy development or business case development and appraisal begins. This will allow the analysis to be supported by objective evidence. Where assumptions are needed, they should be reasonable and justified by transparent reference to the research information they are based on.
As a result, much of the research activity will be concentrated in tranche one and current, planned activity includes:
- legislative and stakeholder mapping exercises
- logic model development and evaluation planning
- evidence and literature reviews
- social research
- economic appraisal
- operational research systems mapping
- legal analysis
| Tranche | Dates | Phase | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January to March 2026 | Scoping | Legislative mapping; stakeholder mapping; viable systems model; review of existing data |
| 1 | January to October 2026 | Discovery | Social research; literature reviews; historical audit; statistical analysis |
| 1 | August to December 2026 | Appraisal | Business case for change; social research with consumers; systems mapping; legal analysis |
| 2 | April 2027 onwards | Consultation and evaluation | Consultation analysis; economic analysis; social research; monitoring and evaluation planning |
Continued research activity will be required throughout the lifetime of the SAFER programme and will be reactive and proportionate to the programme needs and the evidence base as it develops. Specific research activities will be prioritised according to the programme plan and resource requirements, with the activities required for scoping and discovery to be completed first in order to support appraisal activity and programme milestones.