Short Abstract

Traditional dissemination often lacks accountability and follow-through. Evidence-to-Action workshops use co-production to create evidence-based actions to improve interventions. We use a grassroots sports case study to demonstrate how these workshops drive accountability in evidence-based policy.

Description

Effective dissemination moves beyond typical one-way presentations and instead uses active engagement with stakeholders. Evidence-to-Action workshops aim to bridge the gap between evaluation findings and practical action. These workshops provide an opportunity to discuss key evaluation findings, explore their implications, and co-produce action-orientated recommendations with stakeholders to improve policy and practice.

Whilst traditional dissemination, presentation followed by Q&A, can raise awareness of evaluation evidence, it often fails to secure ownership or follow-through for improving policy and practice - with findings often 'sitting on the shelf'. Failing to change policy and practice using evidence does not achieve true value for money. Studies suggest limited effectiveness of passive methods on their own, and point to greater impact where activities involve two-way engagement. Active dissemination using co-production delivers practical benefits. For example, more efficient translation of evidence into actions, stronger stakeholder buy-in and accountability for using evidence, identification of context-specific adaptations, and an improved culture for making evidence-based decisions. Evidence-to-Action workshops increase the likelihood that findings will be operationalised rather than archived.

After an evidence-based summary of the evaluation, participants break into facilitated, mixed-stakeholder groups to test the implications of key findings for policy and delivery, identify barriers and enablers, and co-produce time-bound, evidence-based recommendations that stakeholders can integrate into decision-making. The outcome is a short implementation plan with assigned action leads and deadlines.

We will use DCMS' Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) programme as a case-study to demonstrate how Evidence-to-Action workshops can actively translate findings into policy and practice. The MSGF programme allocates funding for the improvement of multi-sport grassroots facilities across the four Home Nations. This aims to boost activity levels and sports participation amongst local communities. The programme focuses on delivering projects in areas where there are under-represented groups and higher levels of deprivation to ensure physical activity is accessible to all, no matter background or location. We will discuss our lessons learned from delivering an Evidence-to-Action workshop with key programme stakeholders, highlighting how this has resulted in tangible improvements to programme delivery and offering reflections on how this approach could be applied elsewhere in DCMS and across government.

Evidence-to-Action workshops aim not merely to inform, but to catalyse change - turning evaluation findings into owned, implementable policy and practice.