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Evaluation of Funding for UK Civil Space Activity

This evaluation report on UK Funding for Civil Space Activity arises from an original intention to evaluate DTI's contribution to ESA (the European Space Agency).  It was agreed however, that a study focused exclusively on DTI spending within ESA would fail to take account, both of the wider spending by other public bodies (Research Councils and OGDs) and of benefits and synergies arising from the cross-departmental role of BNSC (the British National Space Centre).

Consequently it was agreed that the evaluation should broaden its focus to cover the spectrum of publicly funded civil space R&D activities.  Each of BNSC's principal funding partners agreed to undertake an evaluation of their own areas of spending and produce a report.  These separate reports, ultimately to be drawn together in an overarching document that put forward conclusions and recommendations that would help to inform future UK space policy.

 The evaluation was overseen by a Steering Group, the Chairman of which, reported directly to BNSC's Resources Board who were regarded as "the ultimate customer" for the evaluation.

 In order to ensure consistency, an evaluation plan, setting out the general areas to be considered, was prepared and agreed between the funding partners. The issues to be considered were:

• Relationship between the ESA, the National and other (e.g. EUMETSAT) Programmes
• Rationale 
• Market Failure 
• Additionality
• Counterfactuals
• Benefits and beneficiaries
• Objectives
•  Programme administration - monitoring and appraisal 

Funding partners were invited to judge the extent to which each of these were important to their organisation and thus the extent to which each should be examined in their evaluation.

The overarching report, which analyses and summarises the separate funding partner reports was prepared by consultants, who used their own evaluation expertise to offer advice and assistance to those undertaking the separate evaluations within the funding partner organisations.

The full report in its separate chapters can be accessed via the following links:

Evaluation of funding for UK civil space activity: Title, Contents & Forward
Evaluation of funding for UK civil space activity: Overarching Report
Evaluation of funding for UK civil space activity: DTI Financial Support for UK Civil Space Activity
Evaluation of funding for UK civil space activity: The PPARC Report
Evaluation of funding for UK civil space activity: NERC Evaluation of Civil Expenditure on Space
Evaluation of funding for UK civil space activity: The Met Office Report
Evaluation of funding for UK civil space activity: The DETR Report