Evaluation capacity building

In 2008 HEFCE worked with higher education institutions (HEIs) and Aimhigher partnerships to build their capacity to evaluate the impact of their widening participation activity.

Centre for the Study of Education and Training (CSET)

Between January and July 2008 we asked CSET at Lancaster University to provide:

a series of training workshops to be delivered in the north (Manchester), midlands (Birmingham) and the south (London)
an evaluation capacity building 'toolkit' for use across the sector
intensive consultancy work with six HEIs and two Aimhigher partnerships.

HEIs and Aimhigher partnerships were invited to attend initial workshops which covered the following issues, with a focus on practical outcomes:

basic understanding of evaluation in this context
evaluation experience and expectations
examination of core foci
introduction to core tools
outline of stakeholders' key expectations and priorities
contribute resources for evaluation planning.

CSET undertook three further regional workshops later in the same year. These workshops:

reviewed progress
consolidated evaluation planning
undertook evaluation surgeries and problem solving.

CSET also worked intensively with six institutions and two Aimhigher partnerships over a specified period. These were selected from a broad geographical area to span different types of HEIs and partnerships.

Further information about CSET is available from the CSET web-site, contact Anne-Marie Houghton, tel 01524 592907, e-mail a.houghton@lancaster.ac.uk.

Page last updated 15 August 2012