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 societal impact, most recently through a fellowship in the Department for the Economy (NI), where I help co-producing its first Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy. This work has been recognised by the Government Office for Science as an example of effective academic-government engagement.

I have published over 75 publication, including 50+ 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 internationally renown expert in theory-driven realist evaluation. My research has covered many public policy areas and 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).

Current research projects:

- Enabling Agency: International Recruits in the Care Sector (PI: Marketa Dolezalova) 2026-2027 (Leeds Institute for Societal Futures)

Primary investigator (PI)

• 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

Co-investigator (Co-I)

• 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 Research and Innovation

Current postgraduate researchers

• Gerry