We know we can’t reach everyone in the third sector ourselves, so in order to help more third sector organisations get to grips with evaluation, we want to support those who can reach some of the organisations we can’t.
This section of our website provides advice and resources that intermediaries can use to support others with evaluation.
By “intermediaries”, we mean:
- Local intermediaries (TSIs)
- National intermediaries (SCVO, Voluntary Health Scotland, etc)
- Any other body that supports other organisations/has a role to play in building the capacity of other organisations
(Please note: this section of our website is not about supporting intermediaries with their own evaluation. If you require evaluation support for yourself, please see our support page, or take a look at our resources on intermediaries’ impact.)
Getting organisations on board with evaluation
Many of you have told us that simply making the case for evaluation (and why it’s important) is something you often have to do with the organisations you support (before actually supporting them with it).
Sharing the resource below with organisations should help you to make the case for evaluation and encourage them to see its many benefits.
Why evaluation matters
This resource was created by ESS to make the case for evaluation and why it’s important.
How we can help you to support others
Commission workshops for the organisations you support
Intermediaries can commission us to run workshops for their members or funded organisations.
These workshops are designed to teach third sector organisations how to evaluate their work. They can be commissioned and delivered to a group of staff within a single organisation, either in-person or online.
Book some tailored support
If you would like us to provide you with some tailored support to discuss some specific questions or challenges you are experiencing in your work to support others with evaluation, please contact us.
Tailored support involves a meeting between a member of our team and 1-4 people from your organisation. It can be online or in person. The approach is facilitated discussion and practical action planning tailored to your needs. In the session we ask questions, lead discussions, share our insights and help you come up with practical actions to improve your work with third sector organisations. Find out more about tailored support here.
Below you’ll find some resources to help you support others at various stages of the evaluation pathway.
The Evaluation Pathway
Navigating the evaluation pathway is one way of getting started with your evaluation, or a good way of checking that you are progressing. This resource provides guidance to help you
Setting outcomes and identifying indicators
Need, activities and outcomes
This tool can be used when helping another organisation define its need, activities and outcomes.
Outcomes and key indicators
This tool can be used to help you support an organisation to identify key indicators for its project outcomes.
Support Guide 1a – Setting outcomes
This guide helps organisations work out what their outcomes are and how to write them.
Support Guide 1b – Working out what to measure (Setting indicators)
This guide explains ways to develop and use indicators to help measure outcomes.
Choosing evaluation methods, writing evaluation plans, storage of data
ESS Evaluation Tool: Evaluation Planning Template
This template is a simple tool to help organisations plan their monitoring and evaluation,
Support Guide 2a – Designing evidence collection methods
This guide covers things organisations should think about when designing a suitable evaluation method for the evidence they want to collect.
Support Guide 2b – Storing Evidence
This guide looks at how organisations can store the information they need to use in evaluation.
Analysing evidence, reporting, reflecting on learning
Support Guide 3a – Analysing information for evaluation
This guide covers how organisations can analyse and make sense of the information they have gathered through evaluation so they can write reports.
Support Guide 3b – Report writing
This guide helps organisations think about how to turn their evaluation information in to a report for funders and others.
Support Guide 3c – Case studies
This guide looks at how organisations can use case studies to illustrate the impact of their work. Case studies not only help to bring reports to life, but they can be used in a variety of other ways depending on the audience and purpose.
Support Guide 4b – Reflective practice
In this support guide there are suggestions of tools to prompt reflective practice.
ESS Evaluation Tool: Reporting Template
This template sets out what most funders are looking for in reports. It is taken from Harmonising Reporting – a document produced by ESS and Scotland Funders’ Forum.
Building mutually beneficial relationships – Top tips for Funded Organisations
Top tips for funded organisations about how to build mutually beneficial relationship with their funders.
