Evaluation and Value for Money (VfM)

Course Summary

It is important for good resource allocation, accountability, learning and improvement that policies, programs and other initiatives undergo rigorous evaluations of value for money (VfM). Many evaluators, however, lack training and experience in this area.

This workshop offers a set of techniques to address that gap. Combining strengths of evaluation and economics, the approach builds on theory and practice that will already be familiar to many evaluators, though there are also evaluators and commissioners to whom these techniques may be new.

This workshop includes a brief overview of economic methods of evaluation (e.g. cost-benefit analysis) including considerations for determining when to use these methods in a VfM assessment and when to combine them with other methods. It doesn’t provide detailed instruction in the design and implementation of economic evaluations, as there are other courses that focus on economic methods of evaluation.

Audience

The training is designed for evaluation commissioners, researchers, evaluators, and monitoring, evaluation and learning specialists of all levels from novice to expert. The training is suitable for those who want to learn about rubrics generally, as well as those who want to learn how to apply rubrics to value for money specifically.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will learn how to:

• Frame an evaluative question about VfM
• Develop rubrics, comprising criteria (aspects of performance) and standards (levels of performance), to provide a transparent basis for making sound judgements about VfM
• Combine multiple sources of evidence to support nuanced evaluative judgements
• Incorporate economic evaluation within a VfM framework, where feasible and appropriate
• Interpret the evidence, using criteria and standards, to make sound evaluative judgements
• Present a clear and robust performance story, guided by the criteria and standards.

Trainers

Julian King specialises in evaluation and value for money. Julian’s PhD research developed the Value for Investment system that will be shared in this workshop (www.julianking.co.nz/vfi/). Julian received the 2021 Australian Evaluation Society Evaluation Systems Award, recognising the widespread adoption and use of the approach. Julian has delivered workshops on this approach for evaluation societies and private sector organisations in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, USA, Africa, Asia, and to UKES (with Alex Hurrell, in 2018).

Alex Hurrell is Head of Evaluation at Verian (formerly known as Kantar Public UK). He has over 15 years’ experience in designing and leading large-scale and complex evaluations, with specific specialist expertise in theory-based evaluation, quantitative impact evaluation and VFM assessment. He was previously the Director of OPM’s Social Policy and Statistics & Evidence Programmes, and prior to that led OPM’s Monitoring and Evaluation team.

Access Details:

This course is offered fully online. Access details will be provided after the booking window closes on 10 Sept 1000 BST.

If you have any alternative support needs in order to effectively participate in this training, please let us know before booking or as soon as possible after booking by emailing our team on hello@evaluation.org.uk . We look forward to assisting you in whatever way we can.

Refunds/Cancellations:

Refunds will only be provided for participant cancellations received at least 14 days prior to the event. UKES reserves the right to cancel the event, in which case a full refund would be provided.

Fees

Members                      £250 + VAT *
Student Members       £200 + VAT *

• Members have priority booking through 15 June 2024.

Non-Members             £300 + VAT *

• General booking opens on 16 June 2024.

All bookings close at 1000 BST on 10 Sept 2024.

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*Student bursaries available for full-time students at UK institutions. Apply here: https://www.evaluation.org.uk/student-bursaries-for-ukes-training-courses/