Developing an Evaluation Strategy George Selvanera Senior Consultant Cordis Bright Ltd

Session Objectives How to decide specific evaluation objectives How to use monitoring data in determining evaluation objectives

How to decide specific evaluation objectives 1.What stage are we at in our programme? A 5 th or 6 th wave programme might be concerned, for example, to explore the process and partnership expectations and experiences to date. Trailblazers and early waves might be concerned, for example, to explore the impact of specific innovations and/or whether specific projects are meeting objectives and how these ways of working might contribute to the wider mainstream.

2.How to develop the questions? 1.Examine past evaluation reports 2.Establish a monitoring and evaluation sub-group 3.Involving the board, parents representatives, service providers 4.Your own experience 5.Discussions with your NESS evaluation officer and/or internal and.or external evaluators 6.The wider strategic priorities of your borough 7.Your monitoring data

3.What could monitoring data offer? 1.Helps identify take-up of services – where are there gaps in service delivery? Where are there success stories 2.Which groups are using specific services? And which groups are not, by definition, using specific services? 3.Which groups overall are most engaged with the programme? Which groups are less engaged with the programme? 4.Given levels of take-up overall and for specific projects, what does this tell us in terms of potential value for money?

4.What does this tell us? 1.The outcomes of evaluation should help programme management or other providers do their jobs better in meeting the needs of local families. Given this, the evaluation questions should help focus on outcomes. 2.While there are many sources for determining appropriate evaluation questions, collaborating with key stakeholders helps ensure that priority outcomes determine the evaluation focus 3.Determining appropriate evaluation questions is context-specific 4.Robust monitoring data helps evidence and focus evaluation efforts