Posted 2 February 2026

Evaluation is a central pillar of work in the student life cycle, and the sector is placing increasing importance on understanding, evidencing, and sharing the impact of our activities. As Higher Education (HE) providers continue to deliver against strategic commitments such as Access and Participation Plans (APPs), the ability to evaluate meaningfully has never been more crucial. 

Recognising this, Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) has developed a bespoke evaluation training programme designed to upskill practitioners across our partnership and nurture a genuine community of practice.  

As someone who has been involved in delivering APPs and Uni Connect for over a decade, evaluation has been a major part of my role. I still feel enthusiastic about designing, delivering, and analysing evaluation activities, and I’m continually motivated by what we can learn directly from participants. 

However, evaluation across our sector is often conducted in silos by extremely busy colleagues, with limited opportunities to explore theory, tools, and good practice together. For that reason, I was excited to take part in GHWY’s evaluation training. 

A comprehensive and collaborative learning experience 

The four‑session course covered a broad range of foundational and advanced evaluation concepts, beginning with developing an evaluation mindset and moving through theoretical models and practical frameworks. We explored tools such as Brookfield’s Four Lenses of Critical Reflection and Theory of Change, both of which helped deepen my understanding of how we can design more effective and reflective interventions. 

One of the most impactful moments was our second session, where we worked in real time to create a Theory of Change for our own projects. Being able to develop this alongside colleagues and discuss our ideas, challenges, and assumptions made the session particularly valuable. It reinforced that evaluation not only benefits from collaboration but thrives on it. 

Throughout the programme, our Training Delivery Officer, Rob Scott, created a safe and engaging learning environment. Activities encouraged open discussion, constructive challenge, and shared learning – something that is often missing in day‑to‑day evaluation work. 

Deepening reflection through data and reporting 

The final session focused on collecting and presenting data, offering a wide range of practical insights. Some of the examples used were taken from our useful Impact page. This prompted me to reflect critically on the ways I currently report findings and think more intentionally about how to improve future evaluation outputs. It was both reassuring and inspiring to have the space to question my own practice. 

I plan to continue this work by collaborating with my team to review our existing evaluation approaches. Together, we’ll consider where we can integrate the tools, techniques, and reflections gained from the training to strengthen our collective practice. 

Looking ahead 

I’m looking forward to attending GHWY’s upcoming Evaluation Sharing Event at Leeds Beckett University. The invitation-only event will be another excellent opportunity to deepen my learning, hear from colleagues across the partnership, explore different methodologies, and gain fresh perspectives on APP evaluation. 

Thank you to our brilliant colleagues who designed and delivered this training programme and to everyone who created such a collaborative learning space. This training will be delivered again soon for GHWY members. If you have identified a training need around evaluation in your team, watch this space for more details.  

 

Jenny Scannell, GHWY Project Officer