Prof Ana Manzano

Profile

I am Professor of Public Policy Evaluation and I am also the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Evaluation and Program Planning. My work bridges advanced evaluation methodology with real-world impact, most recently through a fellowship in the Department for the Economy (NI), where I help co-producing its first Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy. Passionate about improving policy, theory and stronger institutional learning.

I have published 48+ peer-reviewed papers and two edited books. The ESRC, MRC, NIHR, the EU and charitable bodies have funded my research. These projects are all interdisciplinary and involved collaborations in the UK, Australia, Spain, Nigeria, Ghana and Vietnam, using my evaluation methodology expertise to examine critical themes in social and healthcare policy, particularly in healthcare utilisation, financial incentives and user decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Co-Editor in Chief Journal Evaluation & Program Planning

Research interests

I am an expert in realist evaluation, theory-driven evaluation methodology and evaluation utilisation. My past research has covered many health and social policy areas such as treatment decision-making in multiple sclerosis; an evaluation of maternal health public policy in Nigeria; peri and postnatal mental health isystems n Vietnam and Ghana; an evaluation of hospital discharge policy in the UK, learning disabilities user led quality measures/matrix in the NHS; organ donation policy in Spain and the UK, emergency mental health hospital admissions, impact evaluation in digital health communities, etc.

I am an expert in evaluation standards for research and government. I am part of the internationally recognised academic team that developed reporting and quality standards in healthcare theory-driven realist evaluation (RAMESES II study). In 2023, I was an international visiting fellow at the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP), Science Po (Paris, France) researching stakeholder and user involvement in realist evaluation. I am also a research associate at IRVAPP Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies (Trento, Italy).

Past projects include:

• UKRI Policy Fellowship (2024-2025) Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland Executive)

• RESPONSE Improving health systems responsiveness to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups in Ghana and Vietnam (Apr 2020 – Sept 2023) funded by MRC / DFID / Wellcome / ESRC.

• RAMESES II: Developing quality and reporting standards and resources and training materials for realist evaluation. Check out our Quality Standards for Evaluators and Peer-reviewers, Quality Standards for Funders or Commissioners, Reporting Standards and Training Materials (1000 words definitions on key realist concepts and realist cartoons)

• CRIMSON Considering Risks and Benefits in Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Selection. Designing a Discrete Choice Experiment and a Decision Aid funded by the UK MS Society. Check our Interactive Online Patient Decision Aid Tool: https://relapsingmsdecisions.com/

• REVAMP A realist evaluation of community health workers programme improving maternal and child health in Nigeria. Five year study funded by the Medical Research Council. Check this video for our summary of study findings: What makes a successful maternal and child health (MCH) programme

• Evaluating the Impact of Global Digital Health Communities: The Case of Multiple Sclerosis. Study funded by the ESRC (Impact Acceleration) in collaboration with Shift.ms Co- investigators Dr Albert Varela and Dr Edward Webb (Academic Unit of Health Economics). Download our Mesuring Impact Toolkit for Digital Communities

• Evaluating Innovation Policy: Department for the Economy (NI) (UKRI Policy Fellowship)
• Evaluating the Impact of Digital Health Communities
• RESPONSE - Realist evaluation to improve health systems responsiveness to neglected health needs of vulnerable groups in Ghana and Vietnam
• RETORNO: Interventions on Social Determinants of Health
• REVAMP: Effectiveness of a Community Health Care Workers Programme for Maternal and Child Health in Nigeria

Qualifications

• PhD in Sociology & Social Policy
• MA
• BA (Hons)

Professional memberships

• European Evaluation Society
• UK Evaluation Society

Student education

Director of Recruitment and Admissions

Current postgraduate researchers

• Gerry
• Jonathan Hume
• Rebecca Ann Simmons