your influence on policy Evaluation Support Scotland We work with - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Charting the waters: evaluating your influence on policy

We work with the third sector and funders so they can measure and report

• n their impact and

use learning to improve practice and inform policy

Evaluation Support Scotland

www.evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk

Policy

A policy is a set of ideas or plans that is used as a basis for making decisions, especially in politics, economics, or business. Collins dictionary

Your policy influence work

Think of a policy you have tried to influence? What did you do?

Policy influence approaches

• Collecting evidence/ giving advice
• Lobbying/ negotiation
• Public campaigns and advocacy

CAB

Friends

• f the

earth Intermediary Community

• rganisation

Discussion

• Why influence policy?
• Why evaluate policy

influence?

• What’s challenging about

evaluating policy influences?

Charting the waters

Why policy influence is important Planning how to influence policy Measurement framework Challenges Explaining policy influence Case studies and quotes

Introduction

• Why/ challenges

Understanding your policy influence

• Step one: set out your outcomes
• Step two: understand the policy context
• Step three: identify policy influence

activities

• Top tips/ checklist

How to measure you policy influence

• Select your outcome
• Set your indicators
• Chose your method

Influencing outcomes

Relation- ships Awareness Attitudes / behaviours Policy content Outcomes for people

Third sector

• rgs

Of how to influence policy Ability to engage in policy Generate evidence Policy makers Of issues and what works Better able to use evidence and voices in making policy Change policy Better services

Evaluation

One thing you will take away One thing we could have done better Ideas for further work in this area

Setting

• utcomes

and indicators Collecting evidence Analysing and reporting Learning from and acting on findings

Evaluation Pathway

Getting the language

▪ Outcomes – changes or differences that come out of your activities ▪ Activities – work you do or services you provide for your users ▪ Resources – things you need to do your work, people, finances, physical

RESOURCES ➔ ACTIVITIES ➔ OUTCOMES

Writing

• utcomes

Who is changing? What is changing? How is it changing?

e.g. Young people (who) are less (how) isolated (what)

More examples

▪ Carers are better able to cope ▪ Homeowners have reduced fuel bills ▪ Learners are more able to move into employment

What would it look like if you achieved your outcomes? Answering this will give you your indicators

Ability to suggest ideas Ability to take part in activities Ability to make eye contact Ability to make friends Awareness

• f other

people’s needs

Young people have increased social skills

Indicators

Measuring outcomes

Soft outcomes Increased wellbeing Reduced anxiety Coping better

Making indicators useful

Indicators should: ▪ Be simple and specific ▪ Be able to be measured more than once and show change over time ▪ Make sense to your service users

If it helps, write indicators from the service user’s perspective: I feel… I can… I am able… We can…

What are your indicators?

• 1. Choose one of your outcomes and

think of as many indicators as you can

• 2. Then circle 4 or 5 indicators that

may be: ▪ Most important (i.e. if you saw this happening you could be very confident that your outcome is being achieved) ▪ Likely to occur in most situations ▪ Easy to measure

Where do you get your evidence from?

Internal records Third party tells you Awards and standards Observed behaviour Statistics OUTCOME EVIDENCE They tell you

4/5 outcomes

Around

• Raising awareness/ reaching people
• Meeting immediate needs
• Stabilising: housing, employment etc.
• Softer outcomes: wellbeing/ integration/

feeling safer

Review care planning process

• Review
• ‘me map’
• Care plan
• Change plan
• Exist interview

What next?

Access free resources at: evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk Book online for our workshops: