What Works Network - GOV.UK
Source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-works-network
Archived: 2026-04-23 14:56
What Works Network - GOV.UK
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Guidance
What Works Network
The What Works Network uses evidence to improve the design and delivery of public services.
From:
Evaluation Task Force
Published
28 June 2013
Last updated
6 March 2024
—
See all updates
Introduction
The What Works Network aims to improve the way government and other public sector organisations create, share and use high-quality evidence in decision-making. It supports more effective and efficient services across the public sector at national and local levels.
Read the
What Works Network Strategy
, published in November 2023. See an earlier report, the
What Works Network: Five Years On
, published in January 2018.
What Works is based on the principle that good decision-making should be informed by the best available evidence. If evidence is not available, decision-makers should use high-quality methods to find out what works.
The What Works Network
The network is made up of 9 independent What Works Centres and 3 affiliate members. Together, these centres cover policy areas which account for more than £250 billion of public spending. What Works Centres are different from standard research institutions. Each centre is committed to increasing both the supply of and demand for evidence in their policy area, and their output is tailored to the needs of decision-makers.
The centres help to ensure that robust evidence shapes decision-making at every level, by
collating existing evidence on the effectiveness of programmes and practices
producing high-quality synthesis reports and systematic reviews in areas where they do not currently exist
assessing the effectiveness of policies and practices against an agreed set of outcomes
filling gaps in the evidence base by commissioning new trials and evaluations
sharing findings in an accessible way
supporting practitioners, commissioners and policymakers to use these findings to inform their decisions
View the
What Works Network membership requirements
.
The current What Works Centres are:
What Works Centre
Policy area
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
Health and social care
Education Endowment Foundation
Educational achievement
College of Policing What Works Centre for Crime Reduction
Crime reduction
Foundations
Children and Families
What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth
(hosted by LSE, Arup, Centre for Cities)
Local economic growth
Centre for Ageing Better
Improving quality of life for older people
Centre for Homelessness Impact
Homelessness
Youth Futures Foundation
Youth employment
Wales Centre for Public Policy
Affiliate:
Youth Endowment Fund
Youth offending
Affiliate:
Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education
Higher Education
Affiliate:
The Money and Pensions Service
Financial wellbeing
The Centres are funded by a combination of government and non-government sources including the
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
,
the Dormant Assets Scheme
, and the
National Lottery Community Fund
.
The Evaluation Task Force, as the secretariat, promotes and supports the independent What Works Network.
More information on What Works
Follow us on Twitter
@whatworksuk
or contact us at
etf@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
.
The
What Works Network Strategy (2023)
What Works Network: Five Years On
Cross Government Trial-Advice Panel Update report
What Works: evidence centres for social policy
Nesta: Why We Need To Create a NICE for Social Policy (pdf)
Updates to this page
Published 28 June 2013
Last updated 6 March 2024
+
show all updates
6 March 2024
We updated information on the page.
29 November 2023
Updated the Wales Centre for Public Policy from associate to full WWC status
29 November 2023
The What Works Network Strategy was published in November 2023.
7 June 2023
The Early Intervention Foundation and What Works for Children’s Social Care have merged to become Foundations.
17 January 2023
Included information on the merger of the Early Intervention Foundation and What Works for Children's Social Care.
14 December 2022
On 31 October 2022, Prof David Halpern reached the 10-year limit of public appointment as the What Works National Adviser.
19 May 2022
Youth Futures Foundation has now been promoted from an affiliate member to a What Works Centre.
The Money and Pension Service is now an affiliate member.
The What Works Team has now been dissolved; the Evaluation Task Force is now the secretariat of the What Works Network.
22 October 2019
Removed an associate member
21 March 2019
Added section on 'What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care'.
14 January 2019
Have updated information on the Early Intervention Foundation and Centre for Better Ageing.
30 January 2018
Latest report details added.
3 October 2017
Updated a link.
19 September 2017
Updated links
6 August 2015
Updated information about the centres and added links to new guidance publications.
25 November 2014
Added link to new report: 'What Works? Evidence for decision makers'.
29 October 2014
Information on the new What Works Centre for Wellbeing added.
22 September 2014
Updated to include latest information on the What Works centres.
11 November 2013
Updated with more information about What Works centres for economic growth and crime reduction
28 June 2013
First published.
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We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.
We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
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You can
change your cookie settings
at any time.
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Skip to main content
Guidance
What Works Network
The What Works Network uses evidence to improve the design and delivery of public services.
From:
Evaluation Task Force
Published
28 June 2013
Last updated
6 March 2024
—
See all updates
Introduction
The What Works Network aims to improve the way government and other public sector organisations create, share and use high-quality evidence in decision-making. It supports more effective and efficient services across the public sector at national and local levels.
Read the
What Works Network Strategy
, published in November 2023. See an earlier report, the
What Works Network: Five Years On
, published in January 2018.
What Works is based on the principle that good decision-making should be informed by the best available evidence. If evidence is not available, decision-makers should use high-quality methods to find out what works.
The What Works Network
The network is made up of 9 independent What Works Centres and 3 affiliate members. Together, these centres cover policy areas which account for more than £250 billion of public spending. What Works Centres are different from standard research institutions. Each centre is committed to increasing both the supply of and demand for evidence in their policy area, and their output is tailored to the needs of decision-makers.
The centres help to ensure that robust evidence shapes decision-making at every level, by
collating existing evidence on the effectiveness of programmes and practices
producing high-quality synthesis reports and systematic reviews in areas where they do not currently exist
assessing the effectiveness of policies and practices against an agreed set of outcomes
filling gaps in the evidence base by commissioning new trials and evaluations
sharing findings in an accessible way
supporting practitioners, commissioners and policymakers to use these findings to inform their decisions
View the
What Works Network membership requirements
.
The current What Works Centres are:
What Works Centre
Policy area
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
Health and social care
Education Endowment Foundation
Educational achievement
College of Policing What Works Centre for Crime Reduction
Crime reduction
Foundations
Children and Families
What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth
(hosted by LSE, Arup, Centre for Cities)
Local economic growth
Centre for Ageing Better
Improving quality of life for older people
Centre for Homelessness Impact
Homelessness
Youth Futures Foundation
Youth employment
Wales Centre for Public Policy
Affiliate:
Youth Endowment Fund
Youth offending
Affiliate:
Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education
Higher Education
Affiliate:
The Money and Pensions Service
Financial wellbeing
The Centres are funded by a combination of government and non-government sources including the
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
,
the Dormant Assets Scheme
, and the
National Lottery Community Fund
.
The Evaluation Task Force, as the secretariat, promotes and supports the independent What Works Network.
More information on What Works
Follow us on Twitter
@whatworksuk
or contact us at
etf@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
.
The
What Works Network Strategy (2023)
What Works Network: Five Years On
Cross Government Trial-Advice Panel Update report
What Works: evidence centres for social policy
Nesta: Why We Need To Create a NICE for Social Policy (pdf)
Updates to this page
Published 28 June 2013
Last updated 6 March 2024
+
show all updates
6 March 2024
We updated information on the page.
29 November 2023
Updated the Wales Centre for Public Policy from associate to full WWC status
29 November 2023
The What Works Network Strategy was published in November 2023.
7 June 2023
The Early Intervention Foundation and What Works for Children’s Social Care have merged to become Foundations.
17 January 2023
Included information on the merger of the Early Intervention Foundation and What Works for Children's Social Care.
14 December 2022
On 31 October 2022, Prof David Halpern reached the 10-year limit of public appointment as the What Works National Adviser.
19 May 2022
Youth Futures Foundation has now been promoted from an affiliate member to a What Works Centre.
The Money and Pension Service is now an affiliate member.
The What Works Team has now been dissolved; the Evaluation Task Force is now the secretariat of the What Works Network.
22 October 2019
Removed an associate member
21 March 2019
Added section on 'What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care'.
14 January 2019
Have updated information on the Early Intervention Foundation and Centre for Better Ageing.
30 January 2018
Latest report details added.
3 October 2017
Updated a link.
19 September 2017
Updated links
6 August 2015
Updated information about the centres and added links to new guidance publications.
25 November 2014
Added link to new report: 'What Works? Evidence for decision makers'.
29 October 2014
Information on the new What Works Centre for Wellbeing added.
22 September 2014
Updated to include latest information on the What Works centres.
11 November 2013
Updated with more information about What Works centres for economic growth and crime reduction
28 June 2013
First published.
Sign up for emails or print this page
Contents
Is this page useful?
Maybe
Thank you for your feedback
Help us improve GOV.UK
To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today.
Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab
)
.