Evaluation, Reports & Resources
Evaluation, Research and Monitoring
Since 2022 Cumbria CVS has been working to enhance its internal evaluation and research, as well as connecting the wider third sector to potential opportunities with research.
Over the next 12 months, we will be offering the following training opportunities to the sector on evaluation, research and monitoring:
- Session 1 Little Book of Evaluation
- Session Evid Tool – Thursday 16 May 2024
- Session 2 Little Book of Evaluation
These sessions will be run by Lancaster Imagination Labs, please look at the links below to find out more information.
To be notified when booking opens for these events please sign up to our membership to receive updates on these and other training opportunities.
Cumbria CVS Evaluation Toolkit
Monitoring and evaluation are an essential component of effective project management and have long been a major part of funders’ requirement for accountability and compliance.
It is important for VCSE organisations to comprehend the impact of their services and projects on their beneficiaries and service users. It can help to understand how to use your resources most efficiently to get the most value and assist with organisational strategy learning.
We’ve put together a toolkit to provide a simplified guide tailored to the unique needs of the VCSE sector in Cumbria, to help you with the practical implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities.
Download our Monitoring & Evaluation Toolkit here
You can use the simplified framework in this toolkit to build up your M&E process as follows:
Step 1: Plan for monitoring and evaluation
- understand your project and it’s objectives (using theory of change)
- define monitoring and evaluation objectives (what do you want to know about your project?)
- develop indicators (how will you know?)
Step 2: Implement monitoring and evaluation
- establish monitoring/data collection plan
- collect and analyse data
Step 3: Report and use M&E findings
- prepare and share a comprehensive report tailored to your different stakeholders
- ensure that M&E findings are used to inform decision-making and improve your project performance
Evaluation Reports
Please find below a range of reports and reference materials that may aid you in further reading around many of the areas that the Third Sector works in and Cumbria CVS Supports.
Cumbria CVS reports
BBO My Future project evaluation
The My Future project provided support and worked with individuals who faced multiple and complex barriers to employment and who were furthest removed from the labour market.
It helped them to move towards and into employment by supporting them to play a greater, more productive role in their communities, demonstrate increased skills and confidence and be much more likely to consider employment or volunteering as a viable prospect.
The project ended in June 2023.
Project in a nutshell (a standalone exec summary)
Story of the project (the main findings)
Project learnings – (a look inside the project)
Third Sector Research and Support
Community Foundation/Durham University
Third Sector Trends 2023: People, Places and Policy Jun 2023
Local health and social wellbeing – the contribution of the VCSE sector in Cumbria (Summary report) May 2023
Local health and social wellbeing – the contribution of the VCSE sector in Cumbria May 2023
Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2022: relationships, influencing and collaboration Feb 2023
Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2022: finances, assets and organisational wellbeing Jan 2023
Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2022: sector structure, purpose, energy and impact Nov 2022
Going the Distance: How Third Sector organisations work through turbulent times Oct 2022
Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2022 (Survey response, Initial findings from the survey and an outline of latest qualitative report findings) Oct 2022
National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) (website)
Time Well Spent: The impact of covid-19 on the volunteer experience July 2022
Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) (website)
Get the basics right: Findings from the Funding Experience Survey September 2022
National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) (website)
Collaboration in Practice 2018
Blobs and squares
The Parable of the Blobs and Squares – Video (You will need a Vimeo login to watch – alternatively, you can watch the video via Youtube here.)
Independent Food Aid Network / Joseph Rowntree Foundation / Tom Pollard
Pushed to the Edge: Poverty, food banks and mental health (2022)
Health
Waiting Well: The Impact of VCSE Sector Integration on GP Practice and Patient Experience
This case study aims to demonstrate what can be achieved to build capacity in a stretched health and care system when strong relationships are formed between health (in this example – the NHS) and voluntary sector partners to support people waiting for surgery and to optimise health outcomes for those who are most in need.
The Impact of VCSE Sector Integration on GP Practice and Patient Experience (2024)
The Health Foundation
Health in 2040: projected patterns of illness in England (2023)
Institute of Health Equity
A Hopeful Future: Equity and the Social Determinants of Health in Lancashire and Cumbria (2022)
NHS England (website)
NHS Long Term Plan 2019 (Summary)
National Health Science Alliance (website)
Our Research Partners in Cumbria
Please explore the links below to our partners in designing and developing resources and opportunities for third sector organisations in Cumbria.
VONNE: https://www.vonne.org.uk/north-east-and-north-cumbria-vcse-research-partnerships
NIHR/CoREN: https://arc-nwc.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/coren/
Lancaster, Imagination Labs: https://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk/project/embedding-evaluation-method/
LeapFrog toolbox: https://imagination.lancaster.ac.uk/leapfrog-tools/leapfrog-toolboxes/
Need assistance in Research, Evaluation and Monitoring?
We hope the tools and resources on this page are helpful. While our Evaluation and Research Officer is on Maternity Leave, we encourage you to explore this page and attend one of our events above. We have paused our direct delivery support until our staff member returns in early 2025. If you require support connecting with a Health Research Opportunity or work with a Local researcher, please reach out to:
North Cumbria Health Boundary: VONNE (above)
South Cumbria Health Boundary: CoREN (above)
Links to live training and Evaluation Resources
The Toolkit – CAVEAT
The Little Book of Creative Evaluation
Training and Events | NCVO
Topic specific tools and resources
Health & Well-being
Evaluating wellbeing
Monitoring and evaluation framework for psychosocial support interventions
Outcome Frameworks for Health Improvement
Children & Young People
Toolkit for Monitoring and Evaluating Children’s Participation
Monitoring and Evaluating Life Skills For Youth Development
Evaluating Participation Toolkit
Tools For Participatory Evaluation
Volunteering
Volunteering Evaluation Guidance
Monitoring and Evaluating a Volunteer Programme
Other Monitoring and Evaluation Resources
