Our extensive experience in the development, delivery and evaluation of grant-funded heritage projects means that we have a detailed understanding of what makes a successful project and how this can be measured.
Our approach
We use Heritage Fund, Historic England & other key funders’ guidance on evaluation. We work with our Clients at the outset to agree a ‘logic model’ that shows the relationship between project Aims, Objectives, Outputs and sets out the elements that need to be measured and their contribution to achieving successful Outcomes.
We use the 7 Principles of Social Value, as defined by Social Value UK, as a core part of our evaluation process. These are the building blocks for accounting, measuring and maximising ‘value’ from a project, and ensuring we capture the difference that projects have made from the perspective of those affected by an organisation’s activities.
Our services include
- Setting baselines to measure progress towards outcomes and outputs
- Tools for measuring quantitative and qualitative outputs
- Training for project officers and volunteers on data collection
- Regular updates to inform decision-making during the delivery phase
- Interim evaluations to show progress and highlight areas exceeding aims or needing attention
- Final evaluations and support with Completion Reports
Some previous projects
Evaluation of the Townscape Heritage Initiative – 25 Completed Schemes
We were commissioned by the NLHF to evaluate a sample of 25 recently completed Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) schemes from across the UK. The work involved a review of the buildings and areas which had received funding to see how successful the schemes had been, the contribution made by owners and the public and the impact of the work on social and economic change such as job creation or redundant floorspace being brought back into positive new use. We also developed a series of recommendations on potential changes to the TH Programme.
Regency Restoration – National Botanical Garden for Wales
In 2019 we were commissioned to support the evaluation of the NBGW Regency Restoration project, a major landscape restoration project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Using baseline data, we prepared a full interim evaluation of the project against the Aims, Objectives, Outcomes and Outputs and change to baseline, as set out in the Stage 2 Action Plan. We also made a series of recommendations and changes to help the project team capture data more consistently and robustly for the final evaluation, as well as developing new tools and training them in their use. The project is expected to complete in mid 2020 and we are continuing to support the team with their data collection prior to undertaking the final evaluation.
Final Evaluation – Derby Townscape Heritage Initiative
In 2019 we carried out an final evaluation of the second Derby THI, which was centred on the Green Lane area of the city. The work involved an assessment of physical work carried out including repairs to historic buildings, the reinstatement of traditional shopfronts and the reuse of vacant floorspace, as well as a review of the engagement activities carried out over the 5 year scheme. As part of the work we gathered views of the tenants and owners of grant-aided buildings and stakeholders that had been involved in the scheme. We also designed a wider public consultation to see how much local people, businesses and visitors felt the area had changed since the project began in 2014.
