A framework for outreach evaluation plans

Abstract

Much importance is now placed upon the evaluation of outreach interventions by higher education institutions (HEIs). Accompanying this focus are requests that HEIs prepare evaluation plans. Yet, whilst some now have plans in place, others do not. One of the challenges for those preparing such documents is that official guidance is not prescriptive in what these should include. Instead, institutions are asked to ‘build’ their own plans. Whilst there is a rationale to this approach, given the autonomy of HEIs, there is also a recognised value in the provision of case studies and the sharing of practice. Accordingly, this paper describes the framework developed by one institution in preparing its evaluation plan – a process informed by desk research. To assess the wider value of this ‘five-point framework’, the views of practitioners in three other HEIs who are involved in their own institution’s evaluation plans were sought. Evidence from these interviews confirms the value of the framework in terms of guiding the preparation of new plans and in informing existing ones. Whilst the paper lends support to the case for a structured approach to evaluation practice, it also acknowledges the limitations of planning and the need to recognise plans as working documents.

Keywords:

• widening participation
• evaluation framework
• practitioner-research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.