Short Abstract

Evaluation is only valuable if its insights are used. Yet, too often, findings fail to translate into meaningful action. We share three practical strategies to help bridge the gap between evaluation and action and suggest how others can implement the same principles.

Description

Evaluation is only valuable if its insights are used. Yet, too often, findings fail to translate into meaningful action. One of our core values at the Raspberry Pi Foundation is “focused on impact”. Our impact team lead on the monitoring and evaluation of programmes which produce computing curriculum resources for schools, support a global network of extra-curricular code clubs, and provide computing CPD for educators. We aim to support project teams to achieve the four key aims of our impact strategy: do the right things; measure what matters; keep getting better; shout about it! We share three practical strategies we implement to help bridge the gap between evaluation and action.

These are:

1. Live elements. We share key metrics and live feedback with colleagues and partners through dashboards, empowering them to monitor their programmes continuously and make rapid, iterative improvements without waiting for a formal evaluation cycle to conclude.

2. Business partnering. We embed Impact Managers within project teams enabling them to understand project contexts, proactively identify monitoring and evaluation needs, and highlight relevant evidence at key moments to support decision making.

3. Capturing responses to recommendations. We work with project teams to understand and document their responses and planned actions to our recommendations to encourage accountability and action.

We provide examples of how each of these aspects helps to convert evaluation to action in computing education programmes and partnerships across the globe. We suggest how other organisations and independent evaluators can implement the same principles.