Local Evaluation into Practice

Creating an Effective Evaluation Programme

Lynnette Chapman, Community Evaluation Unit, Somerset NHS

Background

• Sure Start Bridgwater (Trailblazer)

• Sure Start West Somerset (Round 4)

• Sure Start Taunton (Round 5)

• Community Evaluation Unit.

• Based in NHS Evaluation Unit, Taunton.

What is Effective Evaluation?

• Understanding how well Sure Start services are performing.

• Assessing progress towards objectives/targets

• Making changes to programme as a result of the local evaluation findings

Source: NESS

Question

If effective evaluation involves shaping and influencing the direction of a local Sure Start programme, how can we ensure that this happens?

Shaping Sure Start ProgrammesSome Examples

• Library services

• Speech and Language Services

• Community Questionnaire

Effective Evaluation: Important Characteristics

• Knowing the Programme

• Evaluative Culture

• Evaluative Style

• Opportunities for Shaping the Programme

• Reporting

Knowing the Programme

• Close working with PM and staff

• Regular contact (team mtgs)

• Opportunities for evaluation ideas

• Aware of issues at all levels (MMG/team)

• Evaluate according to need (which may change!)

• Evaluation findings put into context

Evaluative Culture

• Evaluative Culture

• Think Evaluation!

• Evaluation as positive

• Involvement and ownership by staff

• Raising awareness of evaluation

Evaluation Style

• Approachable

• Responsive to need

• Research methods– Innovative and open to new approaches– Rapid review/depth studies/visual

• Evaluation integrated not add on

• Local but independent

Opportunities for Evaluation to help shape the Programme• Evaluation input into decision making and

shaping of services

• Close working with senior staff

• Two way process - evaluation staff/management

• Awareness of key issues/evaluation questions

Reporting

• Accessible and clear reports - interesting!

• Present or discuss findings with appropriate key staff

• Impact of results should be ongoing - not just report, but reinforce, can offer reminders of the evaluation findings to shape services.

Challenges

• Time– attend meetings– building evaluation culture and opportunities– getting to know Sure Start programmes

• Responsive yet need to plan evaluation activity

• Keeping up with changes in the programme

Conclusions

• Shaping Sure Start programmes– More than just distributing evaluation findings

• Knowing the Programme

• Evaluation Culture

• Evaluation Style

• Opportunities for Shaping

• Reporting