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Are we achieving our aims | Theory

Aims are expressed as desired outcomes for young people (such as ‘greater resilience’). These resources will explain different types of outcomes (short and long term), the line of accountability, and the level of attribution (how confident can you be that your provision/practice created the outcome). Use these resources to learn what meaningful evaluation is and how to use data to evidence the impact of your practice.

Starting point

Start here if you are a youth practitioner new to evaluation and quality improvement design:

Asking good questions underpins meaningful evaluation

This introduction and workbook developed by the College is a great place to start. It will help you think through this question and begin to create a plan to  evaluate your practice.

Download the workbook

What is meaningful evaluation?

This overview of the core tenets of meaningful evaluation can be used to prompt discussion with your team and think through where you are today and in terms of both culture and practice.

Read the blog

Creating a culture of inclusivity in research

If you’re looking for advice about how to make each element of your approach to measuring and evaluation as inclusive as possible, this blog from IFF Research is a good starting point.

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Advanced

Resources to build on your experience of evaluation frameworks and continuous quality improvement:

Developing an Outcomes Framework for your provision

The College’s most recent Framework of Outcomes for Young People 2.1  (2022) includes advice on developing a Theory of Change (see section 2) and aligning your measures of change with the major theory you have adopted.

Read the report

Equitable Evaluation Framework

If you are interested in setting up your methods and questions to be equitable, then the Equitable Evaluation Framework™ from the Equitable Evaluation Initiative is a must-read.

Read the report

Nurturing a Culture of Evaluation

Learning and Improving as You Go - a download from the College (and output of the Youth Investment Fund) that steps through how evaluation works in practice, the different roles that play a part, and how they interact.

Download the Report

Understanding what makes high quality research​

If you want to understand more about social research, and what makes some studies higher quality than others, take a look at the six criteria used to judge research quality by the Social Research Association.  You may want to think about how far you could apply these when designing your own evaluation.

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Gauging diversity and inclusion in the social research sector​

A comprehensive survey of the views and experiences of 1000 UK social researchers on issues of diversity and inclusion within the sector.​

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If you are planning to collect data from young people, please visit the area dedicated to ensuring your evaluation practice is safe and ethical here: 8. How safe and ethical is our evaluation? ​