Cultured monitoring and evaluation – getting it right Steven Marwick Evaluation Support Scotland

Who we are Steven Marwick, Evaluation Support Scotland Fiona Campbell, Voluntary Arts Scotland Fiona Rogan, Scottish Community Drama Association (and serial volunteer!)

Evaluation Support Scotland We provide specialist support to voluntary organisations and funders to enable them to evaluate and learn and so provide better services for communities. Website and resources Workshops Tailored support Partnership with others

What is evaluation? What stops it happening? How do we get it right?

What do you think? And what do you know?!

Starting point 1= not really  4 = yes definitely 1.Evaluation is important to my organisation. 2.We know what difference we are trying to make. 3.We collect information about what difference we are making. 4.We take time to analyse and report that information.

What is evaluation? Evaluation is a process of asking questions  gathering evidence  analysing it  being prepared to act on the results.

It’s easy!!

Serious stuff Lack of skills, capacity and time to evaluate - voluntary orgs, funders, policy makers. Evaluation seen as someone else’s job. Outcomes can be tough to express and to measure. Some organisations don’t collect the right information. Few take time to analyse it. We are confused by the language. The products of evaluation often not used for learning.

M&E Collecting output info Collecting outcome info Analysing output info Analysing outcome info And LEARNING!

Outcomes! Outcomes are the changes or difference you want to make through your services or activities Skills Knowledge Behaviour Feelings Condition (health, environment)

The science bit OutCOMEs are the changes and differences come out of your activities. OutPUTs are the activities or services you put on for your users. Inputs are the resources you need to do the work: money, people, time, premises, equipment. Input  output  outcome  impact

Singalong event What difference or changes should I hope to make? To learn more about music To improve your ability to sing To meet new people To have a good time These are outcomes!

Whose outcomes? For example – Bill joins a running club: To get better at running? (excellence) To get fitter? (health) To reduce isolation? (inclusion) To stop me getting into trouble? (crime) Participants’ views matter.

Where are the outcomes? From participants (and audience?) Observation Third parties Research / stats

Making evaluation part of the performance What do we collect already? Is this evidence of outcomes or outputs? What new information do we need? How can we build information gathering into activities? How can we make it creative? Are we able to learn?

Fiona Campbell, Voluntary Arts Scotland Fiona Rogan, Scottish Community Drama Association

In conclusion … Evaluation matters! It’s about learning It should be as creative and participative as our practice It’s not just numbers

Review Never B flat Never B sharp Always B natural

Questions for us

Questions for you 1.What evaluation does your do and what do you use evaluation for? 2.Do you encourage organisations you fund to use evaluation for learning and development? 3.Are the evaluation methods and systems we have in place currently fit for purpose. If not, what would improve things?