1. Assess Plan Do Review Resource 1. Resources
It is important to consider what resources are required for the evaluation from the outset. This may need to be reviewed throughout the planning process. The resource requirements will be informed by the type of evaluation you need (and quite often impact on the design of your evaluation). This is an important step and should be considered early when planning and developing your service (i.e. business case, QIPP scheme, service specification, intervention, programme or project).
Plan your evaluation early in the commissioning cycle. This will enable you to ensure that you use the most appropriate
methodology, collect the right data, allocate adequate resources and set appropriate timescales.
Question
Evaluation Resources
Who is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the Evaluation?
There will usually be an identified lead for the evaluation who can often be the project/service manager or the commissioner. You will also want to consider your reporting (governance) arrangements for the evaluation, this may be an established project group or committee.
Who should be involved in the evaluation?
Who can help you to deliver this evaluation?
Who are your key stakeholders? Are there local experts that can help? Discuss lay involvement with your PPI lead - service users and their families are often well placed to help evaluate the services.
What resources are available to support the evaluation? Include financial resources
This could be money and/or staff time depending on the evaluation. If you are conducting an internal evaluation then you will need input from staff. If you need to commission an external evaluation then you will need to also identify a budget (approximately 10% of the project value). Utilise existing data and project resources where possible and appropriate.
Who will conduct the evaluation?
Evaluations can be conducted internally, externally by an independent organisation or a mixture of the two. What you decide will depend on the purpose of your evaluation (i.e. if it is to inform and improve then an internal evaluation may be adequate; if it is to demonstrate a level of accountability then you need to consider an external evaluation), the level of risk involved to the organisation and the participants and the skills and resources available.
Our service evaluation guide and website provides you with guidance on commissioning an independent external
Evaluation and template to set out your invitation to tender.