603-11 EVALUATING EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS

Community Learning Development Resource 603 – 11

 

EVALUATING EFFICENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS

 

SUMMARY

In relation to the evaluation of practice and performance, Efficiency and Effectiveness and the relationship between these two aspects are explored. A practical exercise is provided to illustrate aspects of efficiency and effectiveness.

 

The sources of evidence for evaluation

  • The context – the setting in which the work takes place
  • Inputs – what is put into the practice – usually, what is planned to be put into practice
  • Outputs – how the inputs actually turn-out in practice, the reality of delivery
  • Outcomes – what results from the work – largely what is achieved by learners  – their learning success and achievements – and the gains, benefits and impact of these

Measuring and evidencing the Outcomes of our work, particularly the Impact provides evidence of the effectiveness of our work.

Inputs and Outputs are not Outcomes, they define how well we put into place the processes and resources, which will support the achievement of outcomes. Measuring inputs and outputs provides evidence of our efficiency as workers and agencies.

Our efficiency contributes to our effectiveness by making the achievement of successful outcomes more likely. We need to make sure that we don’t just evidence efficiency and that we should always strive to identify, evidence and measure effectiveness.

 

ACTIVITY – here are a number of statements about the activities of aCapacityBuilding worker. If we have the facts and figures, what will these be evidencing:

  • The Context of the work?
  • The Inputs?
  • The Outputs?
  • The Outcomes?

 

The sources of evaluative evidence

Evidence of what?
Context

Inputs

Outputs

Outcomes
1. A worker induction and training programme

 

        
2. An individual workers’ action plan for profiling their community

 

        
3. A demographic profile of the community

 

 

        
4. The number of ‘new’ learners talked with during a ‘door-knocking’ campaign

 

        
5. The number of learners attending a first client group meeting

 

        
6.  Half the learners at at the first group meeting were ‘first-time’ returners from the target community        
7. Three ‘first-time’ learners were enabled by the worker to join a Skills for Life group

 

        
8. The worker contacted 15 local workers in the community & set-up a networking meeting        
9. The worker presented a report on the profile of the target community to local providers        
10. After a support session with the worker, a group of learners wrote to the Councillors and council workmen removed four wrecked cars from the estate        

 

PROMPTS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

 

  • Are there examples where the statement evidences more than one aspect of the work? If there are examples – choose one and explain how the evidence works for more than one aspect.
  • Using your own work review examples of what you have used as evidence of success and check, which aspects of the work you have evaluated.
  • Choose a work aspect and identify potential sources of evaluative evidence, then review these in relation to other aspects.