Evaluating & Reporting

This function is crucial to the work of the West Partnership, supporting it to evaluate its activities in terms of each workstream and more widely through the achievement and attainment of learners across the eight authorities.

Highlight reports are submitted on a quarterly basis by each workstream which are used to update stakeholders on key activities and feedback. These are used to inform stakeholders of progress towards outcomes. An annual evaluation report is produced which includes workstream progress updates as well as more holistic evaluations, including the proportion of learners who attain at key performance measures. Tools to systematically evaluate the quality of partnership learning events and the longer term impact on participants and learners allow us to gather data and other evidence to demonstrate the added value of collaboration.

The Information and Data Officer provides programme wide support in all aspects related to data and information management. Research papers and briefs are produced which support the Partnership in ensuring our work is underpinned by a strong research and evidence base.

Lead Officer

Lauren Johnston

Email

Information & Data Officer

Information &
Data Officer

James Bowness

Email

External Evaluation

The Scottish Government also published research (Regional Improvement Collaboratives (RICs) Interim Review) in February 2019 evaluating the establishment of the Regional Improvement Collaboratives and the emerging early impact on stakeholders. The Scottish Government has commissioned a full review of Regional Improvement Collaboratives which, although delayed by Covid-19, should lead to a published report in 2021.

Contact details of the Team:

Professor Christopher Chapman – Director of ROC: chris.chapman@glasgow.ac.uk

Kevin Lowden – Senior Researcher ROC: kevin.lowden@glasgow.ac.uk

Stuart Hall – Senior Researcher ROC: stuart.hall@glasgow.ac.uk

Irene Bell – Research and Impact Officer West Partnership/ROC: irene.bell@glasgow.ac.uk

Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change (ROC) at the University of Glasgow

ROC works in collaboration with the West Partnership RIC, in a variety of ways, one of which is to provide an independent external evaluation of the work of the RIC and to support the Partnership’s collaborative professional learning activity.

This is delivered by the ROC team working at strategic and operational levels of the Partnership: two professors from the University of Glasgow provide expert advice to the West Partnership Board on the West`s Learning System and act as `critical friends`, while two ROC senior researchers support and facilitate groups and networks across the PS to develop collaborative practitioner enquiry approaches that inform practice and improve outcomes for children and young people across the west of Scotland. In addition to supporting those groups and networks, the West`s research and impact officer, based in ROC, has a focus on process and impact evaluation and research to promote and progress knowledge mobilisation across the partnership.

The ROC Team conducted a Conditions for Change Survey across practitioners and senior leaders in West PS schools in the later part of 2019. The findings from this were published in a West Partnership Conditions for Change Interim Highlights Report. These findings provide a useful baseline for future research on, for example capacity, conditions and context for collaboration.

An additional complementary qualitative strand of our evaluation strategy is the production of an evaluation report, (October 2020), largely based on interviews with a range of practitioners and leaders across the West PS. The ROC team has also drawn on other available information and insights gained through our work across the Partnership.

At the heart of ROC`s involvement in the West PS is building sustainable relationships with key stakeholders in the RIC. We have a long history of working with those in the field to develop local approaches that make a difference to the life chances of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. This activity aims to promote more equitable education systems through theory-informed, applied research underpinned by a commitment to the principles of social justice and lifelong learning. More information on our ethos, principles and projects can be found at Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change and at the Network for Social and Educational Equity websites. You can also follow us on Twitter@NSEEScotland.