§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the objectives of the Home Office programme development unit; what performance indicators will be used to monitor its work; and if he will make a statement. [11914]
§ Mr. MichaelThe primary objective of the Home Office programme development unit is to contribute to the development of policy and practice in the area of crime and criminal justice through experimental initiatives from which general lessons can be drawn. It identifies, initiates, encourages, develops and manages innovative local projects to test out in practice ideas stemming from research and practice. It ensures projects are properly monitored and independently evaluated and disseminates the results. It offers help with the replication of similar programmes where appropriate.
The work of the programme development unit is assessed by the contribution that its work makes to informing policy and practice; the extent to which projects found to be successful are continued beyond the period of Home Office funding, either through attracting funding from other sources or through being mainstreamed into the activities of other bodies such as local authorities; and the extent to which they are replicated.
The work of the programme development unit is regarded as an essential component in the armoury to tackle and prevent crime.