Evaluation of Roads Reform: The changes made to the management and operation of England's strategic road network since 2014 - Wave 2 Report

This document describes an evaluation of England's Roads Reform program, which aimed to improve the management and operation of the Strategic Road Network (SRN) by transforming the Highways Agency into Highways England, implementing long-term strategic planning, and increasing investment. Conducted by Ipsos MORI, the evaluation employed interviews, surveys, and document reviews, adhering to ISO 20252:2012 standards. Results show stakeholder support for the reforms and evidence of positive short-term changes, with increased supplier confidence and investment, despite some challenges in scheduling and future income uncertainty. The evaluation also reviewed the roles of the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and Transport Focus in enhancing accountability and road user focus, noting that while stakeholder views are positive and reforms are embedding well, the full impact on efficiency and value for money will require further assessment. The document concludes that the Roads Reform has led to improvements in Highways England's operations and supplier relations, with a more structured development of the Road Investment Strategy (RIS) and a shift towards a commercial and customer-focused culture. However, ongoing evaluation is necessary to confirm long-term outcomes and the effectiveness of new governance arrangements. **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: Other
• 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 2019

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