Posted 18 November 2024

Evaluation remains high on the agenda of the Office for Students (OfS). The importance of drawing out whether and how activity is having the impact that is expected is key in ensuring that staff time and efforts are being expended in the most appropriate ways. This was outlined by OfS Director for Fair Access, John Blake, in his recent UUK Conference speech ‘What’s next in equality of opportunity regulation’.

Equipping staff in Go Higher West Yorkshire’s (GHWY) 13 member institutions to think like an evaluator and deliver good quality evaluation is the core of the training we are currently working with YMCA George Williams College to deliver. This is aimed at staff who work at all levels: 

• Staff at a strategic level need to understand evaluative processes so they can provide strategic steer and challenge for evaluation reports received 

• Staff at the manager level need to understand evaluation so they can appropriately support and direct teams, and ensure evaluative thinking is embedded in activity 

• Staff at the delivery level need to understand evaluation so that they can maintain its presence in the activity they deliver, to understand impact and report on their activities to managers and those at a strategic level 

YMCA George Williams College has proven to be the perfect partner in delivering this training. Their vision of social justice aligns well with our own vision of greater equity. In addition, their history of supporting learners from the least advantaged backgrounds to have equitable access to education means they understand the circumstances in which Access and Participation Plan activity is operating. 

When working with our trainer, Simon Frost, to develop the structure of our sessions, it challenged me to apply an evaluative lens. I worked through my own Theory of Change – based on the excellent model provided by YMCA George Williams College – to help understand why we were doing what we were doing, the specifics of what would be delivered, and in what ways, to ensure it is impactful. This has led to being purposeful in how the training series has been set up, basing it on a number of mechanisms of change. These include: 

• Learning as a social activity: bringing people together in both virtual and physical spaces to provide the opportunity to talk and learn from each other 

• Taking a sustained approach rather than a one-off intervention: delivery is through a series of four connected sessions 

• Trying to support a sense of belonging and psychological safety for attendees: be purposeful about welcoming attendees into sessions and supporting their engagement, to have a greater positive impact on learning 

The training has seen around 40 staff from across the partnership sign up to participate. Feedback to date has demonstrated what they are taking away with them: 

“The session made me reflect on the projects we run because we always have, and made me feel able to reflect on the true value of what we offer. I will definitely be taking this back to my manager.”

“Very informative and valuable session. I have really enjoyed working on the [Theory of Change] with other colleagues.”

I am finding it a fantastic experience to work and learn alongside a range of colleagues, who are all thanked for their engagement and enthusiasm. 

Now that sessions have been delivered to introduce participants to evaluative thinking and YMCA George Williams College’s ‘Theory of Change’ and ‘Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning’ templates, future sessions will focus on collecting data and disseminating findings. 

Helen Sykes, Head of GHWY