NatCen Hires Theory-based Impact Evaluation Specialist

In the UK, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) has appointed theory-based impact evaluation specialist Barbara Befani as a Research Director in its Centre for Evaluation.

NatCen is Britain's largest independent social research organisation, and carries out research into all areas of social policy including health, crime, education, employment, travel, social attitudes and families. The organisation's Centre for Evaluation helps organisations discover what is and isn't working in their programmes and policies, and why, helping them to make best use of their funds and resources to impact positive societal change.

Befani (pictured) joins with twenty years' experience. She is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Surrey and Research Associate at the University of East Anglia, before which she was Research Fellow, Impact, Innovation and Learning at the Institute of Development Studies. Earlier she worked as Evaluation & Research Methodologist at Ismea, Evaluation Editor at UVAL-DPS Ministry of Economic Development, and Evaluation & Research Methodologist at the Italian Ministry of Justice. She is an author of publications on theory-based evaluation; an editorial board member of the journal 'Evaluation'; was elected Board Member of the European Evaluation Society (EES), between 2012-2015; and was former EES Secretary General.

In her new role, Befani is tasked with strengthening the services offered by the Centre for Evaluation, leading and advising on key NatCen evaluation projects and developing programmes of work to build its capacity in the theory-based evaluation space. Joanne McLean, co-Director of the Centre for Evaluation, comments: 'I am delighted that Barbara is joining us as we grow our theory-based evaluation capacity. Her expertise combined with the innovative evaluation methodologies we employ for projects across a range of policy areas will strengthen our offer in this area'.

Web site: www.natcen.ac.uk .