Challenge questions for community
learning and development services and
partnerships
Introduction
The purpose of this publication is to complement the self-evaluation framework How good is our
Community Learning and Development?2, published in May 2006. It sets out a set of challenge
questions to assist people who are evaluating the effectiveness of community learning and
development provision. It is intended to be used flexibly in self-evaluating overall provision or
specific aspects that may need particular attention. They are also the kinds of questions that HM
Inspectors will seek answers to when inspecting CLD provision or the strategic leadership of CLD
within the education functions of local authorities.
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What key outcomes has the partnership achieved?
1.1 Improvements in performance
1.2 Fulfilment of statutory duties
Questions you might ask the service and partners
What measures of outcomes does CLD have?
What trends do they reveal?
What targets has the partnership achieved or not achieved?
How does the partnership compare with those in other similar authorities/organisations?
Does the partnership meet statutory requirements and reflect best practice?
How well does the service meet the needs of our stakeholders?
2.1 Impact on participants
Questions you might ask the service
What evidence does the partnership have that learners are:
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participating and included
achieving and attaining
progressing?
To what extent are we helping participants to become:
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successful learners
confident individuals
responsible citizens
effective contributors?
To what extent are we helping participants to be:
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safe
nurtured
healthy
achieving
active
respected and responsible
included?
To what extent are we helping participants to progress in the core skills of:
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communication
number
ICT
working with others
problem solving?
What does the data tell us about under-participating and under-performing groups?
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How well do we meet the needs of our stakeholders?
3.1 Impact on paid and voluntary staff
Questions you might ask
How motivated are our paid and voluntary staff?
How confident and valued do they feel?
How effectively do our staff improve the impact of their practice through training and development
activities?
How well do we include staff in planning and decision making?
How well are our staff supported by central services and the work of partner agencies?
How effectively do our staff work in teams?
How well do we meet the needs of our stakeholders?
4.1 Impact on the local community
Questions you might ask
How do we know that members of community groups are developing their skills, abilities and confidence?
To what extent is provision empowering members of community groups to shape developments in their
communities?
To what extent has provision resulted in communities developing services such as self-help and social
enterprise initiatives?
To what extent has provision resulted in community groups being effectively planned, managed and
evaluated?
How do we know that attitudes and behaviour in relation to social and cultural diversity are improving?
To what extent has provision resulted in increased networking and learning amongst community groups?
How well do we meet the needs of our stakeholders?
4.2 Impact on the wider community
Questions you might ask
To what extent have we influenced the contribution of major partners operating in our area?
To what extent have we used new thinking and research findings to shape our policies and practices?
To what extent have we contributed to improved policy and practice in other parts of Scotland or beyond?
To what extent have we anticipated demographic or other changes to improve the relevance and
responsiveness of our services?
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How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.1 Opportunities for people in the community
Questions you might ask
How do we know if our programmes of learning and development meet the needs and aspirations of
priority groups and communities?
How well do we devise our programmes in response to these needs and aspirations?
How do we ensure that groups and communities know about and can access programmes?
How do we ensure that programmes include opportunities for progression?
How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.2 Context for learning/development
Questions you might ask
How do we ensure that people make well informed choices about the learning and development
opportunities they participate in?
How do we ensure that staff are building and sustaining relationships with participants that support
learning and development?
How appropriate are our venues for the activities taking place in them?
How do we celebrate learners’ achievements and successes?
How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.3 Planning for learning/development
Questions you might ask
How do we ensure that the prior learning of participants is recognised and informs plans for their learning
and development?
How do we ensure that the needs and aspirations of participants are identified?
How do we ensure that sessions and learning activities are well planned to meet participants’ needs and
aspirations?
How well do we record achievement and progression?
How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.4 Facilitating learning/development
Questions you might ask
How do we know that methods and resources used by staff meet the learning needs of participants?
How effectively do we use assessment to help participants evaluate their own progress and make
informed decisions about future learning?
How do we know that our approaches foster participants’ independent learning skills?
How do we ensure that participants of all abilities are able to engage at all stages in programmes?
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How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.5 Participant learning/development
Questions you might ask
How do we ensure that participants are highly motivated and engaged fully?
How do we know that participants have access to the right resources and are using them effectively?
How do we know that participants are being supported effectively to reflect on their learning and to make
informed choices?
How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.6 Engaging with communities and other stakeholders to identify and plan to meet their
own needs
Questions you might ask
How effective are procedures for identifying community needs and aspirations?
How good is our understanding of community needs?
How well are our plans informed by community needs and aspirations?
How well do we record the progress and achievements of community members?
How well do we recognise, value and celebrate community achievements?
How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.7 Developing skills and confidence for community engagement
Questions you might ask
What opportunities exist for people to participate in their community?
How effective are our mechanisms for supporting community members and volunteers?
How effectively do we build working relationships with community members and volunteers?
How effective are training and development activities for community members and volunteers?
To what extent does feedback help community members to reflect on their progress and affirm their
achievements?
To what extent do community members progress to more challenging roles?
To what extent do community members and volunteers progress to employment, training or further
learning?
How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.8 Assisting communities to exercise power and influence to achieve outcomes
Questions you might ask
How effective are our mechanisms to assist community organisations to effectively manage change?
How effectively do we support community organisations to network productively with others?
How well do we empower communities to represent their views and influence others?
How do we support community organisations to provide and manage services?
How well do we celebrate the successes of community organisations?
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How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.9 Inclusion, equality and fairness
Questions you might ask
How good are we at ensuring that excluded communities, groups and individuals are included?
How effective are we in removing barriers to participation?
How readily do participants have access to specialist resources or services to meet their needs?
How well do we promote inclusion, equality and fairness and positive attitudes to social and cultural
diversity?
How do we know that we comply with equalities legislation?
How good is our delivery of key processes?
5.10 Improving services
Questions you might ask
How effective are our mechanisms to evaluate information from stakeholders?
How well do we evaluate the outcomes of planned activities?
How do we ensure that the feedback we obtain from participants and stakeholders gives us the
information we need to improve?
What improvements have resulted from reflective practice and self-evaluation?
What improvements have resulted from planning?
How do we ensure that stakeholders are kept fully informed about improvements?
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How good is our management?
6.1 Policy review and development
Questions you might ask
Do we have a comprehensive, relevant and appropriate set of polices to guide our activities?
How well do policies for CLD cohere with corporate and broader service policies?
How well are our policies linked to our strategic vision, values and aims?
How well do we implement, evaluate and update our policies?
How good is our management?
6.2 Participation of service users and other stakeholders
Questions you might ask
How well and in what ways are service users and stakeholders involved in policy development?
How good is our communication and consultation with service users and stakeholders about our aims,
provision and performance?
To what extent do service users and stakeholders actively participate in our work?
How good is our management?
6.3 Operational planning
Questions you might ask
How effective are our mechanisms for developing, implementing and evaluating plans?
How effective is the input of CLD partners to local planning?
How do CLD operational plans articulate with the CLD strategy and community plan?
How well do we use performance information in planning?
How involved are staff at all levels in planning and evaluation?
How well do we ensure that plans are sustainable?
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How good is our management?
7.1 Sufficiency, recruitment and retention
Questions you might ask
Are there sufficient staff to deliver agreed outcomes?
How effective are our procedures for ensuring that we have suitably qualified and skilled staff?
How effective are our procedures for ensuring the care and welfare of staff and volunteers?
How effective are our procedures for ensuring equality and fairness in staff recruitment and promotion?
How well do we recognise and celebrate the achievements of our staff and volunteers?
How good is our management?
7.2 Deployment and teamwork
Questions you might ask
How clear are our staff and volunteers about their roles, responsibilities and authority?
How clear are they about lines of communication and accountability?
How well do we deploy staff and volunteers to meet planned priorities?
How well do staff work together in teams to achieve planned priorities?
How well do teams work collaboratively with other teams to achieve common aims?
How good is our communication with staff and volunteers and how well do we involve them in decision
making?
How good is our management?
7.3 Development and support
Questions you might ask
How well do our induction procedures support all new staff to become effective as soon as possible?
To what extent do our staff review, support and supervision arrangements result in enthusiastic, well
motivated, confident and competent staff and volunteers?
How well do our training and development activities equip our staff and volunteers to work effectively and
meet new challenges?
To what extent do shared training and development opportunities result in improved inter-disciplinary
relationships and work practices?
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How good is our management?
8.1 Partnership working
Questions you might ask
How clearly have the purposes and aims of the CLD or other partnership been communicated?
How useful and clear are partnership documents such as SLAs and other forms of agreement?
How effectively do we work together across agencies and disciplines?
How well do our staff work with others in partnerships?
How good is our management?
8.2 Financial management
Questions you might ask
How comprehensive and effective are our financial procedures and controls?
How well equipped are budget holders to implement financial procedures and controls?
How well do we allocate budgets in line with planned priorities?
How enterprising are we in securing additional funding?
How consistent are our budget allocations with local and national priorities?
How well do we work with finance and other services to ensure effective budget management?
How good is our management?
8.3 Resource and risk management
Questions you might ask
Is accommodation for CLD sufficient and appropriate for our purposes?
Are our resources and equipment sufficient, appropriate and accessible to meet the needs of participants
and staff?
How do we ensure that staff are aware of the specialist resources available to them?
How do we know that all staff are applying child protection, health and safety, and risk management
procedures effectively?
How good is our management?
8.4 Information systems
Questions you might ask
How effective are our arrangements for collecting, storing and retrieving data?
How effective are our processes for analysing and evaluating data?
To what extent do our protocols and procedures meet legislative requirements and service needs?
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How good is our leadership?
9.1 Vision, values and aims
Questions you might ask
To what extent are our vision, values, aims and priorities for CLD consistent with other key strategic
documents?
To what extent is learning at the heart of all that we do?
How aware are staff and how well do they work towards achieving our vision, values, aims and priorities
for CLD?
How can we demonstrate that we have developed a culture of empowerment, improvement, innovation
and service excellence?
How do partners evidence their commitment to our joint vision, values and aims?
How do we ensure that understanding and commitment to equality and diversity results in positive action
to promote equality of access and opportunity?
How good is our leadership?
9.2 Leadership and direction
Questions you might ask
How useful are our plans in achieving our vision, aims and priorities in practice?
How well do we lead staff and other stakeholders in developing plans that result in their commitment to
effective implementation?
How can we demonstrate that budget and staffing allocations are directed towards achieving key
outcomes and priorities?
How well do we take account of risk in our strategic and management planning?
How good is our leadership?
9.3 Developing people and partnerships
Questions you might ask
To what extent does our leadership supports a shared ethos of quality improvement and staff
empowerment?
To what extent are staff empowered to take appropriate leadership in their own areas of work?
How do we ensure that staff are enabled to give of their best?
How well do we develop the leadership capacities of staff at all levels?
How do we ensure that relationships with staff and partners are characterised by trust?
How do we ensure that the enthusiasm and commitment of staff and key partners is mobilised and
focused on securing improved impacts on service users?
To what extent does our ethos promote teamwork and collegiality?
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How good is our leadership?
9.4 Leadership of change and improvement
Questions you might ask
How well do we challenge and support staff to continuously improve?
How well do we use research, examples of best practice, self-evaluation and other reviews to enhance the
quality of learning and service provision?
How well do we take account of risk in proposed changes and innovations?
How well do we manage change and innovation to secure progress in a manageable number of high
priority initiatives?
How well do service managers lead quality improvement?
How do we build capacity for improvement?
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