Strategic Initiatives

Charities Evaluation Services

Research project funded by The City Bridge Trust
Funders increasingly want to know about the impact of their grant-making but, while most organisations find it relatively easy to collect quantifiable information concerning their activities, many find it difficult to evaluate this information and reflect on their outcomes and impact. Funders are also repositories of huge amounts of information provided by those they fund through progress reports, programme evaluations, annual reports and other publications. Yet many grapple with the complexities of how to make the best use of this information in order to share learning and good practice and inform and shape future policies.

In May 2006 the Trust awarded Charities Evaluation Services (CES) a grant of £25,000 towards the London element of a research project to review the extent to which the Voluntary and Community Sector, funders and policy makers have benefited from the evaluation field over the last 15 years and how effectively evaluations are being used by the sector.

The research will include a policy and literature review; a questionnaire to a sample of 5,000 voluntary organisations; in-depth case studies of CES clients as well as other providers of evaluation services, such as university departments and other consultancy services; and interviews with major funders such as the Home Office, Big Lottery Fund and health authorities.

The findings of this report will potentially be of great value to the Voluntary and Community Sector, funders, regulators and policy makers. The final report will highlight the tools, approaches and methodologies that have proved effective in the evaluation field and what organisational characteristics need to be in place to implement successful approaches within different contexts.

Charities Evaluation Services
CES was established in 1990 to increase the effectiveness of the Voluntary and Community Sector through the development and implementation of its evaluation and quality systems. Its main activities include an annual programme of training in monitoring and evaluation and quality assurance; consultancy and technical support for voluntary organisations, policy makers and funders; undertaking individual project and programme evaluations; production of resources and toolkits for the sector; and input to policy with Government, regulators and key funders. It produces PQASSO, the main quality system in use by the Voluntary and Community sector and it is the lead accountable body for ChangeUp's national hub of expertise on performance improvement.

For further information visit the CES website www.ces-vol.org.uk

15% discount on CES training courses
The City Bridge Trust and City Parochial Foundation are jointly funding CES to increase access to its training in quality and evaluation systems. CES is offering organisations funded by The City Bridge Trust or City Parochial Foundation a 15% discount for all its courses listed in its training guide.

For further details, click here.