A Framework for Evaluating Transformative Innovation Policy

This valuable research report presents a framework for evaluating Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) developed within the Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC). It provides practical guidance for policymakers and researchers seeking to design evaluation approaches that support learning, experimentation and systemic change in innovation policy.

It explores how evaluation approaches need to evolve in order to assess policies that aim to address major societal challenges and drive systemic change in socio-technical systems.

Building on insights from the fields of sustainability transitions, climate policy and systemic policy evaluation, the report outlines key principles for evaluating TIP initiatives. These include adopting a formative and participatory evaluation approach, integrating evaluation into policy design and implementation processes, and applying flexible methodologies suited to complex and evolving policy environments.

A central element of the framework is the use of a Theory of Change (ToC) to understand how policy interventions contribute to transformations in socio-technical systems. The report provides guidance on developing theories of change for policy experiments and distinguishing between context, processes, outcomes and long-term systemic impacts.

The report also reviews a range of evaluation tools and methods, which can support the monitoring and learning processes required for Transformative Innovation Policies, including :

• outcome mapping;
• portfolio analysis; and
• participatory impact pathways analysis.