Capacitybuilders - Improving support for a stronger third sector

18/12/2007

Earlier in the year, Capacitybuilders announced details of a highly regarded team of evaluation experts that have been appointed by Capacitybuilders to scope out the evaluation of ChangeUp.

Work carried out to date

Since their appointment in June, the team, that consists of Sheffield based COGS consultancy, the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University and the Cities Research Centre at the University of the West of England, have been hard at work and the scoping for the ChangeUp evaluation was completed at the end of October.

Interviews and initial research

108 interviews have been carried out with national bodies and as part of four locality studies, with a range of people including civil servants, people involved in providing support to the third sector, local stakeholders and frontline organisations.

Workshops

Four feedback workshops were also held to check out emerging findings along with a workshop with the capacitybuilders Board and staff in mid-October.

Review of existing ChangeUp research

The work also included a review of existing research on ChangeUp and the third sector support services, a review of the policy, operating and evaluation environment and a review of systems to communicate Change Up achievements and share information and learning.

Reporting back key findings

A report was sent to Capacitybuilders at the end of October.  Our Policy and Strategy Committee considered the report in November, and we are now working to finesse the details of tender for the substantive evaluation projects.

To find out more about this piece of work, please download the evaluation team's overview report.

Thank you to participants

The evaluation team would like to thank all those who gave time to participate in the research.