Designing and implementing an evaluation of a national work support program.

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Public Policy
• Economics

Background:

• Global trend towards conditional cash transfers for welfare recipients.
• Lack of micro-level evaluations for welfare-to-work policies in Singapore.
• Introduction of the Work Support Program by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in 2006.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of developing a large experimental evaluation for Singapore's Work Support Program.
• To share lessons learned from planning and implementing rigorous research in a setting with limited research capacity.
• To provide guidance for future researchers conducting long-term evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Development of a large-scale experimental evaluation design.
• Focus on essential research components and adaptation of instruments.
• Collaborative strategies for research implementation.

Main Results:

• The article focuses on the *process* of evaluation development, not empirical results.
• Identified challenges in implementing rigorous research with collaborators lacking experience.
• Developed strategies for effective collaboration and adaptation of research tools.

Conclusions:

• Rigorous evaluations of welfare-to-work programs are crucial for policy effectiveness.
• Planning and implementation require adaptive strategies, effective collaboration, and cultural sensitivity.
• Lessons learned can inform future research design and execution in similar contexts.