Support for
improvement through
self-evaluation
Steven Marwick
Evaluation Support Scotland
www.evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk
Asking questions

Gathering evidence

Analysing it

Acting on the results
Funding and evaluation
getting it right
Why self-evaluation matters
and tips on how to do it well
We signed up for the wrong plan – and
now we can’t change it.
Different funders – different
requirements.
I don’t care about outcomes – give
me the numbers!
Oops we forgot to evaluate!
We love you but we only have 13
hours to save the earth!
They are all out to fiddle us!
I’d love to be flexible but
audit / my manager / the
Minister won’t let me
Fear that evaluation  no
funding = no learning.
Conspiracy – funders and
funded both want to prove
the funding was worthwhile.
Funder doesn’t read
reports, doesn’t give
feedback
Funded doesn’t tell
funder there’s a
problem, or share
successes
Why ARE we funding
you?
 Valuable
 Relevant
 Proportionate
 Supported
 Inside and outside
Scotland Funders’ Forum
Practical steps funders
can take to make
reporting more useful
and less burdensome
for funders and
funded.
Includes templates
and tips for both.
Best reports come from organisations
that:
Evidence their work
Tell their story
Use reporting to reflect on what they
have achieved and learned
(Scotland Funders’ Forum: Harmonising
Reporting 2010)
What works
for whom
in what circumstances
and why?
What difference are we making for
children and young people
(outcomes)?
How good is our work (quality)?
What’s working – or not – about
strategic funding partnership?
If I’d know they wanted me to use
all this info – I never would have
asked for it
 Cost effective and flexible
 Rich source of evidence about
‘how’ and ‘why’ change happens
(or doesn’t).
 Complements formal research
 Supports people doing the work
to learn and improve
Outcome explanation
Has learned to sit & listen
Do not overclaim: honesty =
credibility
Say what did not work
Use case study to tell the story – but
don’t cherry pick
Make links to other evidence – similar
projects or research
Focus on outcomes (but also how the
outcome achieved)
Evaluation
into day
to day
work
Day to day
work into
evaluation
It’s for you! Not just your funders
Increased capacity
Improved policy
Reduced barriers
And so on
Both sides see the point
Shared aims and outcomes
Make time for each other
Trust each other
Do stuff together
Learn together
from Office of Deputy PM resource (on
ESS website) & ESS experience