§ Mr. AlexanderTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the ONE pilot initiatives. [143640]
§ Ms JowellONE is a radical new programme helping people of working age achieve their potential and independence. There is an ongoing evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the ONE service pilots against their set objectives. The evaluation comprises quantitative and qualitative research, operational research, a database and cost-benefit analysis. The effectiveness of the pilots will be evaluated primarily by comparing results for participants in the pilot areas with those for similar people in comparable areas.
The first results from the ONE evaluation were published on 30 November in three reports: "Why Not ONE?", "First Effects of ONE" and "ONE Basic Model Pilot and Control Areas, Analyses from the ONE Evaluation Database Voluntary Phase". All three reports provided findings from the ONE evaluation for the period when the pilots were voluntary. The broad findings from this research indicate support for the ONE service and a positive experience of claiming by those who chose to participate. There is also evidence that early intervention is changing attitudes, and providing help to also look for work as either a short or longer-term option. The reports are available at www.dss.gov.uk/asd/asd5/ (for the first two) and www.dss.gov.uk/asd/online.html for the third. They are also available in the House of Commons Library.
Further results will be published throughout the evaluation, with the next findings on the medium term labour market effects (nine months after joining ONE) due in autumn 2001. Quantitative information on the 66W immediate labour market effects of the compulsory phase should also be available in autumn 2001, and for medium term effects from winter 2002. Information from the qualitative research for both pilots should be available earlier.