1. Improving Financial Confidence Evaluation and support Briefing event 9 th February 2012

2. Features of our approach: Joint working

3. Our role ……… Evaluate the impact of the IFC projects 1.To assess whether project objectives have been met 2.To assess whether BLF’s objectives have been met 3.To build the business case for continuation / mainstreaming Support projects through their life-time 1.Support project development 2.Support self-evaluation 3.Provide learning and information sharing opportunities 4.Dissemination and promotion of good practice

4. Why evaluate ? 1Measurable indicators to assess costs and savings: Associations Tenants Communities 2Use hard financial data 3Demonstrate changed attitudes and behaviours 4What would have happened in the absence of the IFC project? Prove the business case in an inhospitable environment

5. Evaluation: making the business case

6. Work streams 1 Project development 2 During project operation 3 Online learning resources 4 Communication and spreading good practice Select and undertake 20 case studies Set up virtual learning Network & link to external info Implement communications strategy, inc. events and Active Learning Develop / populate project baseline and revisit Develop project portal and outward- facing website Support self- evaluation & community evaluators Develop and promote research library Outputs Annual reports, working papers, press releases, tenant newsletters, case study reports, events reports, business case model, self-evaluation toolkit, Virtual Learning Network resource, skilled tenant community researchers Support projects at proposal development stage

7. What we will ask of projects ……… Supplying baseline information 1.Housing management data – arrears, rent collections, turnover, voids etc 2.Organisational data – staffing structures, crisis management / preventative work balance etc 3.Project beneficiaries – financial confidence, financial situation, financial inclusion.....and again post-project for outcome assessment Case studies and beneficiary involvement 1.Making time for and helping set up case study interviews (some projects) 2.Encouraging beneficiary involvement

8. What we will provide for you ……… …...At development and start stages Dedicated named support /research contact Project self-evaluation toolkit Support in gathering baseline data Support in community evaluator development …..During project operation Project Portal (own space), outward-facing website and research library Shared learning through events and networks ……At end of project Report on changes to baselines Report on changes in financial confidence = Business case evidence Case study reports

9. Support: information and communication Project’s Portal Shared, private space for project-to-project communication Learning support tools Library resource Data analysis The public facing website RSS links Blogs Social media links Case study reports

10. Support: communication at the heart

11. Support: learning and dissemination Local learning: what works, what doesn’t and why Sharing and active learning through lead researchers, events and Portal Local and sub-regional networks Two-way learning street – good practice from developing world Wider learning: what’s in it for us ? Reaching broader HA movement and other social housing providers Influencing the wider policy agenda Ensuring long-term sustainability and mainstreaming

12. Thank you Any questions? Rachel Gardner Rachel.Gardner@uk.ecorys.com Danny Friedman Danny.Friedman@uk.ecorys.com Andrea Finney Andrea.Finney@bristol.ac.uk