Evaluation of Roads Reform: The changes made to the management and operation of England's strategic road network since 2014 - Wave 3 Report

This document describes an evaluation of the Roads Reform in England, which was initiated to enhance the management and operation of the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The reform aimed to improve strategic planning, transform the Highways Agency into a government-owned company, and establish effective monitoring roles. The evaluation, adhering to ISO 20252 standards, utilized a combination of interviews, surveys, case studies, and document reviews to assess the reforms' impact from 2015 to 2020. Results show that the reforms have led to better management of the SRN, with improvements in value for money and user experience, more strategic operations, and a customer-focused culture within National Highways. The roles of the Office of Rail and Road and Transport Focus have contributed to increased transparency and accountability. Despite these positive outcomes, challenges persist in recruitment and decision-making processes. The evaluation concludes that while the Roads Reform has brought about beneficial changes, ongoing evaluation is necessary to fully understand its impact. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Transport (DfT)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation; Process evaluation
• Impact methods: Theory-based methods
• Theory-based methods: Contribution analysis
• Process methods: Individual interviews; Surveys and polling
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: July 2022

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes