AUDIT OR EVALUATION? A NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE VFM STUDY

This article presents a case study of an important but relatively neglected aspect of the British policy process - the Value for Money (VIM) studies undertaken by the National Audit Office. It analyses in detail the conduct of one particular study, including the reactions of the audited bodies and the parliamentary activity which followed the publication of the NAO report. The case is then used to illuminate what appear to be some more general characteristics of the NAO's approach. It is concluded that NAO VFM work marks an important step beyond traditional audit for regularity and/or economy, and that it significantly enhances democratic accountability. Yet at the same time this work falls short of a full-blooded evaluation. Indeed, it appears to take place within quite prominent constraints, some of which were built into the legislation setting up the NAO but others of which could conceivably be eased, even without new statutory authority.     

Levinasian Ethics and Legal Obligation*

Abstract. This paper discusses the implications of the ethical theory of Emmanuel Levinas for theoretical debates about legal obligation. I begin by examining the structure of moral reasoning in light of Levinas's account of ethics, looking particularly at the role of the “third party” (le tiers) in modifying Levinas's primary ethical structure of the “face to face” relation. I then argue that the primordial role of ethical experience in social discourse, as emphasised by Levinas, undermines theories, such as that of H. L. A. Hart, that propose a systematic distinction between legal and moral species of obligation.     

Children Seeking Asylum in Wales

While there is an emerging body of research on children seekingasylum, the UK-based studies have to date been largely conductedin England. This paper presents the findings of qualitativeresearch on the experiences of children seeking asylum in Wales,a nation within the UK whose National Assembly has devolvedresponsibility for social welfare and educational services.The research involved interviews and focus groups with children,relevant professionals and a small number of parents. The findingsdescribed in this paper relate to some aspects of the children'sdaily lives, their hopes and fears and their attitudes towardsbeing dispersed to a strange and unknown country.     

Finding Kung Fu

<正>I travelled to Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China’s Liaoning Province, on a quest for cultural exchange in 2008. Along the way, I thought I might as well give martial arts a try. Traditional