Project ADDER: Impact evaluation

Product Description

Project ADDER (addiction, diversion, disruption, enforcement and recovery) aims to promote an intensive whole systems approach (WSA) to tackling drug use and its consequences. The funding from Project ADDER was used to implement interventions across treatment and recovery, enforcement, and diversion, with the overall aim of reducing the prevalence of drug use, drug-related offending, and drug-related deaths. The project initially focused on opiates and crack cocaine but over time local areas were able to expand their focus to other drugs (primarily Class A), co-use of alcohol, and preventative interventions.

The Home Office has commissioned Verian to conduct an independent evaluation of Project ADDER, working in partnership with London Economics, Revolving Doors, and the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research (ICPR) at Birkbeck, University of London. The objectives of the evaluation are to measure delivery against the stated project’s aims, investigate experiences of delivery and provide recommendations on designing or rolling out a similar programme, and provide recommendations on continuing to evaluate the effects of Project ADDER.

This report presents the findings from the impact evaluation of Project ADDER, and shares case study examples of impact from local area projects. For detailed descriptions and local-level examples of different interventions and WSA, please refer to the Project ADDER Evaluation: Practitioner Report. The impact evaluation has used a theory-based approach, known as ‘contribution analysis’, to assess the extent to which Project ADDER has contributed to key outcomes identified in the project’s Theory of Change