How and why to evaluate your partnership?
It is often assumed that working in partnership will provide better, more joined-up and more cost-effective services for communities, but organisations tell us how challenging it is to show that working together is better than working individually.
At ESS we have been exploring how to evaluate partnership working. We think this will help organisations to:
- learning how to improve a partnership
- to prove the benefits when applying for funding
- to get feedback on partner’s contributions
- proving to others you know how to work in partnership
- avoiding pitfalls in future partnerships.
Guide
We have developed this tool to help third sector organisations understand and decide what to measure in order to show the difference their partnership has made.
Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts? (2020)
This new resource provides more guidance and tips on evaluating the impact of your partnership.
We think this resource is of interest to those currently working in partnership or considering it.
Case studies
Evaluating the impact of a partnership case study: Glasgow Kelvin College and Leonard Cheshire
In this case study, staff from Glasgow Kelvin College and Leonard Cheshire share their experiences of evaluating the impact of their partnership and how they plan to use the learning.
Evaluating the impact of a partnership case study: Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Forum and Scottish Prison Service
In this case study, staff from the Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Forum and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) share their experiences of evaluating the impact of their partnership and how they plan to use the learning.
Other related resources
Third Sector Partnership Compass (2016)
This evidence paper by Evaluation Support Scotland and The Robertson Trust with the Scottish Third Sector Research Forum brings together evidence of what research tells us engaging in positive partnership
If you’re looking for some support in evaluating your partnership, please contact us.
