This page contains the latest news about updates to this website, news about the support we offer, details of forthcoming events and other news of relevance to Investing in Communities projects.

Self-Evaluation Workshops in July and August 2010

We are pleased to announce details of forthcoming self-evaluation workshops in July and August 2010.

What is the aim of the workshops?

These workshops are designed to build on the start-up workshops and to benefit from the sessions, participants need to have some experience of conducting self-evaluation.

The Evidencing Outcomes and Reporting workshop will help projects to evidence outcomes at their end of year or end of funding period.  This assumes that projects are undertaking self-evaluation and have tools in place, but need help to interpret and report evidence.

The workshops are free of charge.

When and where are the workshops and how do I book?

Details of dates and venues are below.  Please email thefund@blakestevenson.co.uk if you are interested in coming to either of these workshops.

Thursday 22 July - Edinburgh

Venue: Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue, 16 St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SU

10.00am to 12.30pm       Evidencing Outcomes and Reporting (maximum 20 places)

Thursday 22 July - Edinburgh

Venue: Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue, 16 St Mary’s Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SU

1.30pm to 4.00pm       Evidencing Outcomes and Reporting (maximum 20 places)

Growing Community Assets Self-Evaluation Start-Up Workshop

We are running two Self-Evaluation Start-Up Workshops for projects funded by Growing Community Assets (GCA).  This workshop will provide an introduction to the basic principles of self-evaluation and is intended primarily for projects that have recently received funding and have little or no experience of undertaking self-evaluation.

We will be running one workshop on Thursday 8 July, 10.00am to 12.30pm at the Teacher Building, Glasgow.

We will also be running a GCA Self-Evaluation Start-Up Workshop in Kirkwall, Orkney on Monday 9 August, 10.00am to 12.30pm.

If you are a GCA project and would like to attend either of these workshops, please email us on thefund@blakestevenson.co.uk

Investing in Communities case studies

BIG asked us to undertake case studies with grantholders across the IiC portfolio to find out about their experiences of adopting a self-evaluation approach and what they have learned as a result.  The case studies demonstrate how self-evaluation enables grantholders to think about the changes their project has brought about and the impact it has had.  BIG has now published all 32 case studies in an online ‘Album of Impact’ which you can view by clicking here (www2.biglotteryfund.org.uk/investingincommunities ).

New materials in Resources section

We have added some more self-evaluation materials to the Self-Evaluation - Practical Tools page of the Resources section of this website.  Click on the Resources tab above to have a look.

Relationship map

We have added a blank copy of a Relationship Map tool in the Resources section of this website, under the heading of Self-Evaluation - Practical Tools.  This is a useful tool to help you measure progress in increasing social contact or reducing social isolation.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation Evaluation tool

New evaluation resource added to the practical tools available from the resources section of this website

Outcomes Star Tool

New outcomes resource added to the practical tools available from the resources section of this website