Evaluation
East of England Faiths Council evaluation
The East of England Faiths Council serves to enable the major faith traditions represented in the region to input to regional strategy and issues, act as a hub for information and advice for the sector, and more widely to promote the contribution of faiths to the life and wellbeing of the region. We evaluated the work of the organisation in 2008/09, undertaking stakeholder interviews and and an on-line survey. The Faiths Council is building the recommendations into its new business plan, important as it moves to a new legal structure and navigates its path through changes in the regional and local policy landscape. The Faiths Council is funded by CLG, EEDA and the Church Leaders Forum.
Value for money & neighbourhood management
This project sought to inform work in Barnsley to analyse the impacts, costs and benefits of neighbourhood management, focusing especially on financial aspects of ‘cost benefit’. It has broken new ground, and contributed to related work as part of the National Neighbourhood Management Evaluation. The level of interest in the work was such that the Government Office Yorkshire and the Humber (who commissioned the original assignment with Barnsley Council and the Kendray Initiative) asked us to produce a case study and guide for wider use. The project also featured as part of the National Neighbourhood Management Network autumn conference 2008.
Download:
* Neighbourhood Management Cost Benefit guide (
452KB)
* Kendray case study ( 141KB)
* report to the Kendray Initiative ( 460KB)
* presentation, with Ian Smith, Kendray Neighbourhood Manager, to the National Neighbourhood Management Network conference, 23 October 2008 ( 714KB)
The assignment has subsequently informed the development of a new Neighbourhoods and Community Engagement Framework, which has mainstreamed the work of the Kendray neighbourhood management pathfinder.
Download:
* Neighbourhood Management Cost Benefit guide (
452KB)* Kendray case study (
141KB)* report to the Kendray Initiative (
460KB) * presentation, with Ian Smith, Kendray Neighbourhood Manager, to the National Neighbourhood Management Network conference, 23 October 2008 (
714KB)The assignment has subsequently informed the development of a new Neighbourhoods and Community Engagement Framework, which has mainstreamed the work of the Kendray neighbourhood management pathfinder.
Reducing Inequality Review
The Reducing Inequality Review, for Brighton & Hove Council and the 2020 Community Partnership (LSP) analysed existing evidence on dimensions of inequality in the city, across neighbourhoods, groups and communities of interest, before proceeding to review the contribution of local policies in reducing inequalities and disadvantage and consider future priorities.
The review was undertaken jointly by Educe and Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI), and carried out in two phases:
The review was undertaken jointly by Educe and Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI), and carried out in two phases:
- Phase one was essentially a needs assessment for the city, intended to set the scene for Phase two.
- Phase two offered recommendations for approaches and strategies for reducing inequality in the city, which fed directly into the preparation of the new Local Area Agreement (LAA)
We worked with a steering group made up of various stakeholders, with the project involving over 100 people in the research, soundings and evidence gathering.
The Reducing Inequality Review brought together for partners, for the first time, a substantial range of evidence to enable a coherent and up-to-date understanding of the needs of the city. The Council regard the review as an example of best practice in how cities can develop a sense of their local identity and the opportunities available.
The Reducing Inequality Review brought together for partners, for the first time, a substantial range of evidence to enable a coherent and up-to-date understanding of the needs of the city. The Council regard the review as an example of best practice in how cities can develop a sense of their local identity and the opportunities available.
The Phase 1 and Phase 2 reports are available for download from the Brighton & Hove Council website.
Flight of the Flamingos evaluation
The ‘Flight of the Flamingos’ is a training and development programme in Wolverhampton intended to help middle managers bring about change and strengthen partnership working, leading to improved delivery. It was piloted by the LSP’s Health and Well-Being Partnership between October 2006 and January 2007, and has since been run on worklessness and private rented housing. We evaluated the programme on behalf of the Wolverhampton Partnership and the Government Office for the West Midlands. (This has recently provided the basis for a case study in the IDeA Partnerships and Places good practice library.)
The programme sought to develop participants’ understanding the service delivery system and their ability to influence within it, with expectations that it would lead to actions in pursuit of LAA targets and service improvements, especially in making ‘seamless services’ a reality. Knowledge of systems thinking was built into programme design, eg, in:
The programme sought to develop participants’ understanding the service delivery system and their ability to influence within it, with expectations that it would lead to actions in pursuit of LAA targets and service improvements, especially in making ‘seamless services’ a reality. Knowledge of systems thinking was built into programme design, eg, in:
- making imaginative use of group facilitation techniques to help address some of the common obstacles to effective partnership working, in particular the use of the ‘World Café’
- ensuring the commitment from senior members of the Health and Well Being Partnership, in promoting and engaging with the programme, underlining its importance as ‘champions’/ mentors for individual participants and involving, eg, the Council Leader, PCT Chief Executive and LSP Director in open exchange sessions during the programme
Benefits from the pilot included:
Rural Action East evaluation
Project to develop an evaluation framework for Rural Action East (RAE), the partnership body representing Rural Community Councils and rural community interests in the East of England, and assess its impact to date. The project sought to:
- capture the 'strategic added value' that RAE brings to regional economic development and in particular delivery of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES)
- articulate the impact that RAE has had in the region since its establishment, including benefits to rural communities
- provide a clear focus for RAE’s strategic activities over the next three years, notably but not limited to engagement with EEDA, the regional dveelopment agency
This involved an assessment of the extent of RAE's influence in its relationships with key partners, particularly EEDA, taking account the changing policy context at regional and national levels. (Project funded by EEDA.)
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