Legal basis
Identify current statutory authority, decision-maker, route, due process, appeal and areas requiring qualified legal advice.
Phase 3 evaluation control
Proposal assessment framework
A proposal should not move from discussion to pilot until its legal basis, rights effects, safeguarding, data use, administration, cost, outcomes and consultation record have been examined.
01
Decision gates
Eight assessments before reliance or implementation
Equality and human rights
Assess protected characteristics, indirect discrimination, proportionality, dignity, family life, liberty and access to remedy.
Safeguarding
Test effects on children, victims of trafficking or abuse, disabled people, people experiencing trauma and other vulnerable groups.
Information and privacy
Define lawful purpose, minimum data, access, retention, sharing, security, correction and deletion.
Cost and administration
Record staffing, training, interpretation, technology, accommodation, appeals, oversight and opportunity cost.
Measures and comparison
Predefine benefits, harms, baseline, comparator, time horizon, subgroup analysis and stopping criteria.
Consultation
Seek challenge from affected people, practitioners, local services, employers, unions, charities, lawyers and researchers.
Decision and correction
Publish the evidence considered, unresolved objections, decision owner, review date, corrections and reasons for change.
02
Current position
No automatic approval
The existence of this framework does not mean any proposal has passed it. A completed assessment must cite current law and evidence, record material disagreement and identify any independent review. The editable working assessment is maintained privately so unverified draft judgements are not mistaken for public findings.
03
Related controls
Use alongside the existing research pages
Methodology matrix
Claim, evidence, harm, safeguard, measure and disconfirmation.
Impact assessment
Rights, equality, vulnerability and unintended consequences.
Consultation
Evidence, criticism, corrections and lived experience.
Research method
Questions, alternatives, evaluation design and falsifiability.