Monitoring efficiency and evaluating effectiveness
SHINE aims to fund efficient organisations which deliver effective projects.
We want our grants to make a difference by effective intervention in the lives of children and young people. Our monitoring and evaluation is outcomes based. We track, and ultimately evaluate, the effectiveness of projects funded by gathering, collating and analysing baseline, progress and final achievement data.
We believe that rigorous monitoring and evaluation is the best way to judge whether SHINE-funded projects are actually making a significant difference to the lives and educational achievement levels of children and young people. We will commit time and resources to engaging in the monitoring and evaluation process in an active and involved way.
SHINE will:
- monitor efficiency – the organisation's competence and the quality of its service delivery;
- evaluate effectiveness – based on hard and soft project outcomes; and
- offer support and advice to groups on monitoring and evaluation.
Working in partnership
SHINE wishes to work in partnership with the organisations we fund. A project's objectives and how outcomes will be measured are agreed at the application assessment stage and monitoring and evaluation expectations are clearly mapped out in the funding agreement package. We maintain regular personal contact with organisations throughout the lifetime of the grant.
Measuring outcomes
SHINE's aim is to help improve children's educational achievement levels. Therefore, we want to be able to assess whether the projects we fund are meeting their objectives in terms of measurable educational outcomes.
While recognising the need for a mix of quantitative and qualitative information in measuring these outcomes, SHINE evaluates projects primarily on the strength of 'hard', quantitative data.
The quantitative information which all projects are expected to provide is:
- number of participants
- baseline assessment data
- age of participants
- progress assessment data
- total period of project, frequency and length of sessions
- final assessment data
- attendance data
- overall achievement data
- unit costs
Qualitative data – such as participants' attitudes to the project and changes in behaviour – is also important. Organisations provide this in addition to, not instead of, the quantitative information.
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