This article, based on data collected from a year-long study, investigates the evaluation of a UK local government policy implementation and the use of evaluation data as an evidence base for public policy (McCoy and Hargie, 2001; Schofield, 2004; Bovaird and Loeffler, 2007; Stern, 2008). Our case study highlights a number of issues. First, uncertainty and ambiguity of policy direction can lead to barriers in establishing clear evaluation goals, which, second, results in frustration among

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... olders at a perceived disparity between what we term problem-inspired policy and problem-solving policy. Finally, this perception can be compounded by a lack of consideration for local variations of, for example, specific cultures, geographies or historical contexts. I responding to these problems our article argues that regardless of where policy control and decision-making occurs, the importance of the experiences of implementers of policy at a local level (where subject/geographical/cultural specialism and familiarisation exists) is crucial.