How we evaluate ourselves

Evaluation Support Scotland (ESS) works to achieve the following outcomes:

That voluntary organisations, funders and policy makers:

1. Have better skills, knowledge and confidence on (self) evaluation.
2. Have better systems for evaluation.
3. Have better evidence for reporting and learning.
4. Act on learning from evaluation to do things better.
5. Meet needs more effectively or improve services.

You can see how our activities link to these outcomes in our logic model:

Outcome indicators

We set outcome indicators to measure the achievement of our planned outcomes. We collect information against those indicators which includes:

• Systematic feedback from voluntary organisations on changes in their skills, knowledge and behaviour as a result of our support.  
• Evidence of improved plans, reports and practice as a result of our support.
• Feedback from funders and service users about changes in the organisation and its services as a result of our support.
• Feedback from commissioners and our own funders.

Surveys

We also undertake a stakeholder survey every 2 years.

We then use the information collected to report on what we do and the difference we make in our Annual report and review.

Inspections

We were inspected by HMIE in 2011. View the HMIE inspection report.

ESS practices what it preaches!

Jane Marryat, ESS Research and Communications Officer gives an insight into ESS’s own self-evaluation process

Posted on: 11/08/2020

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