what we do

Our Approach: The project set out to provide the client with the capacity to produce effective business analytics capable of informing strategies to optimise their service. We set out to inform the collection of data that would help quantify the costs, efficiency of delivery, impact on customers and ultimately cost-effectiveness of homelessness services provided by our client. Successful delivery of the project gave the business a unique and robust analytical capacity that  enabled it to optimise cost-effectiveness across services and respond to demands for evidence of impact that are integral to contracting through payment by results.

Our approach involved working closely with the client’s in-house team through four key processes: (1) Developing a theory of change; (2) Identifying key performance data; (3) Evaluating the impact of services; and (4) Calculating cost-benefit. 

Impact: The results enable our client to create value by improving both the efficiency and effectiveness of their care and support services. The results allowed them to provide service commissioners with clear evidence of how their services are a cost effective means of supporting their customers.

Our Approach: We helped the RCSLT to identify, collect and analyse data that will enable them to assess the impact of new initiatives. We also worked in partnership with them to develop user-friendly evaluation frameworks to assess the impact of the initiatives on service quality.

Impact: At the end of the work, we left the client with an effective data production and collection process capable of generating robust evidence on service impact that will form the basis of an evidence- based marketing campaign. A copy of our report can be found on the College website.

Our Approach: We used economic evaluation methods to monetise the value of the social impacts of the projects and to demonstrate this clearly and succinctly.

Impact: The client was able to evidence clearly to the commissioners the social value of the work they were delivering.

Our Approach: We supported our client to understand what they need to measure, how to collect the data, and how to use it to improve quality and efficiency of services for local children and their families.

Impact: The results enabled the authority to effectively commission services for their Sure Start Children’s Centres on a payment by results basis. This piece of work also built data analysis capacity within the organisation.

Our Approach: We developed a detailed Theory of Change and Outcomes Based Accountability Framework in close collaboration with the client’s performance management team and used this to review the council’s approach. We provided the client’s team with a succinct report, and the core skills to improve this process further.

Impact: The introduction of Outcomes Based Budgeting was one of the factors that led to The City of Wolverhampton Council being named Local Authority of the Year at The 2017 MJ Awards, and was also was also named winner in three other categories, Most Improved Council, Senior Leadership Team and Excellence in Governance and Scrutiny.

Our Approach: We worked in partnership with colleagues from RBC to set out their planned approach to delivering the programme and how they planned to evaluate it. We did this by developing a Theory of Change and Outcomes Based Accountability Framework for them to clearly map this out. In addition, we assisted them by completing an economic evaluation using cost benefit analysis methods, as part of this we advised on:

• The unit costs of an individual that is not-participating between ages 14-19 on public services, including: the Local Authority, the Police, health (e.g. local hospitals);
• Indicative costs to schools (specifically of 14-16 YOs not participating);
• How cost savings break downon an annual basis, and per partner; and
• Estimated savingsthat could be made through reducing the number of non-participating young people in Reading, broken down by time, cashable and non-cashable savings.

Impact: Our support bolstered RBC’s Sib application as they were able to detail a clear plan for programme delivery and internal evaluation. They were also able to demonstrate a projected cost benefit analysis of the project which was of vital importance to evidence where the savings would be made so that the commissioners can assess the risk of this.

Our Approach: We delivered a costs benefit analysis focussing on the savings associated with the delivery of family group conferencing. Because of the early stage of the project the analysis was based upon estimated and projected savings. However, we also ensured that we built the capacity within the council so that they will be able to collect information on more long term outcomes.

Impact: The framework we developed and the support we gave the council means that they were able to continue to build a robust model of financial benefits based upon the data that we supported them to collect.

Our Approach: We worked with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and our strategic partners at Concentra to develop the online tool. Our work also included an appraisal of existing methods of measuring cost benefits, cost consequences and cost effectiveness, making recommendations concerning effective measurement, and identifying data collection systems and processes that might be required to fill evidence gaps. A copy of the report can be found here.

Impact: The tool could be used by local services to inform decision making around which interventions to use.

Our Approach: We are building evaluation capacity within the council by council programme delivery teams and community stakeholders to monitor their impact by focusing on outcomes. The ultimate objective is to produce a set of materials that will enable teams in Tower Hamlets to implement for themselves outcomes based approaches to programme management and evaluation. We have designed a bespoke 8 stage process to do this:

1. Project initiation;
2. Evidence masterclasses;
3. Workshops to develop theory of change;
4. Introduction to Results-Based Accountability;
5. Develop a data collection framework for evaluation of policy programmes;
6. Support in-house delivery teams run programme evaluations;
7. Support the writing up and dissemination of research reports;
8. Review process and develop policy evaluation tool-kit for Tower Hamlets.

Impact: We anticipate that the council will have the capacity to evaluate their own work using the toolkit we have developed in partnership with them using outcomes based approaches.