Evaluation Learning Report: Updates, Insights & Reflections, October 2022

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The purpose of this report is to showcase some of the work that has been undertaken within the Essex LDP and consider how and why some of the changes we have observed in the last 6 months might have come about.

This will take the form of five sections, and within each of these, we highlight areas that we want to celebrate, share our learning, explore with others and what we plan to do next.

The methodological premise of this work is a Realist Evaluation. The methods of data collection were interviews with the LDP team and partners, theory gleaning workshops run by an evaluation partner and documentary analysis. The five sections include What’s been happening in Essex, Our Journey into Realist Evaluation so far, Gamification, Place-based Working and Embedding Evaluation.

Read the full report

What’s been happening in Essex?

This section shines a spotlight on different activities that have been progressing over the past 6 months. This includes, Levelling Up, the Cost of Living, Cycling initiatives and project updates in each of the three pilot areas.

Our journey into realist evaluation so far

We began a journey with a new evaluation partner, taking a collaborative approach to evaluation that utilises realist methodology. We've now developed our initial assumptions and are in the process of testing them.

Gamification

The Essex LDP is primarily working with two partners to deliver gamification initiatives, Beat the Street and Street Tag. These seek to gamify physical activity to provide an incentive for individuals, families and friendship groups to reduce their physical inactivity.

Place-based Working

Place-based working aims to hardwire physical activity. Key to this approach is to listen and understand the strengths, aspirations and needs of people in a community by working together using local resources and collaborating to gain local knowledge and insight.

Embedding Evaluation

A key focus of the current evaluation approach is to embed a culture of evaluation and learning to show that evaluation is “everyone’s business”.