Short Abstract

Systems change takes more than strategy, it needs a culture of learning, reflection and adaptation. We’ll share how we’re collectively building an embedded evaluation culture in a multi-year programme, explore what we’ve learned, and hear from partners who’ve been part of the journey.

Description

Connected Futures is a place-based systems change programme designed to transform the journey from education to employment for young people facing exclusion and disadvantage. Tackling complex, cross-cutting challenges, the programme supports the development of locally tailored approaches to youth employment by placing young people at the heart of the system, from schools and employers to housing, health, and care.

We’re excited to share what we’ve learnt from Connected Futures. As we continue to deliver this programme, we remain acutely aware of the challenges inherent in this approach, particularly the pressure between empowering local partnerships to lead learning and responding to expectations for evidence that can influence wider policy. We’ll explore these trade-offs, including navigating power dynamics, working within fixed funding structures while supporting adaptive learning, and sustaining engagement across complex systems. Partners from the programme will join us to share their experiences of integrating evaluation into their systems change activity and decision making.

We’ve cultivated an evaluation culture from the outset, adopting a developmental evaluation approach to support real-time learning in a dynamic systems environment, including rapid feedback loops & iterative sensemaking. This enabled partnerships to adapt to emergent conditions and shifting priorities. A dedicated learning partner provided strategic oversight, building capacity across local partnerships to use evidence, challenge assumptions, and strengthen coherence across diverse workstreams.

As partnerships deepened their understanding of local barriers and systemic opportunities, they began testing different approaches and looking for early signs of traction with stakeholders across the system. To support this, we commissioned embedded action researchers in each local area to facilitate reflective practice, capture emergent insights, and strengthen local learning loops.

Commissioning was intentionally collaborative and co-designed with local areas to build trust, leverage local knowledge, and foster a sense of joint ownership over learning and adaption. Together, the learning partner and action researchers helped shift evaluation from a reporting function to a shared practice of inquiry, prioritising participation, building capacity, strengthening relationships, and driving more coherent and impactful systems change. Theories of change were co-created with local partnerships as evolving tools for sensemaking, alignment, and adaptation.

We’re still learning what it takes to embed an evaluation culture within complex local systems. This session shares what’s worked, what’s been hard, and what we’re still figuring out, with voices from those who’ve lived and shaped the work.