vip_toolkit

Evidencing the Value of Infrastructure (EVI)

Toolkit

Pilot version



The purpose of the Evidencing the Value of Infrastructure (EVI) framework and tools is to

enable you to take a comprehensive overview of your work in order to help you:-

 Review needs

 Set strategy and goals

 Gather evidence of your outcomes and impact

 Demonstrate your impact externally



EVI Framework



The work of Infrastructure Organisations (IOs) is complex. IOs need to think about:-

 The individual organisations in your sector1

 The sector as a whole

 The environment2 in which your sector operates









1. Organisation









3. External context



2. Collective ‘sector’







1

We are using the term ‘sector’ here to refer to the constituency that you exist to support. This is likely to be

defined in terms of a geographical area (e.g. East Midlands or England or Hackney), a particular group of

people (e.g. Older people or Asian older people), a type of organisation (e.g. community groups) a

professional group (e.g. fundraisers) or a particular area of expertise (e.g. evaluation) In many cases it will be

defined in terms of several characteristics (e.g. community groups working on mental health within

Birmingham)

2

We have chosen this term for the external context - policy, funding, public and other aspects of the context in

which your sector operates that has a direct impact on individual organisations and/or the sector as a whole

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Evidencing the value of IOs means gathering evidence of success within the following

outcome areas at these three levels:-



Individual organisations The sector External context

Are they:- Is it:- How supportive are:-

1. Needs led and strategic 1. Needs led and strategic  The general public

2. Fit for funding and 2. Fit for funding and  Government

sustainably funded sustainably funded  Businesses

3. Delivering effective 3. Supporting effective  Funders

services service delivery

4. Learning and improving 4. Learning and innovative

5. Well led 5. Supporting strong

6. Well managed leadership

7. Using resources 6. Supporting good

efficiently management

8. Positively influencing the 7. Using resources

environment efficiently

8. Positively influencing the

environment



EVI Tools

The EVI toolkit consists of a number of tools for use by IOs, within the above framework:-



Individual organisations The sector External context

 Organisation dial (OD)  Sector dial (SD)  Questions in the sector

 Organisation survey (OS)  Sector survey (SS) survey (SS)

 Question templates (OT)  Facts and figures  Facts and figures about

 Case study template (OC) about the sector (SF) the external environment

 In depth working tools (OW) (EF)



The Organisation Dial and In-depth working tools are designed to support as well as

measure change within an organisation, by providing a focus for discussion and planning

among a group – either with a worker from the IO or internally.



The Sector Dial and external context Dial are designed to be used by the IO itself, possibly

along with other stakeholders within the sector, to review the current situation and set

goals for change and to assess whether change has taken place.



The other tools are standard methods for gathering information from a range of people.



EVI report template

This is a standard template for a report to evidence the value of a particular IO. It provides a

model for drawing together and presenting evidence from all the tools under the eight

impact areas that make up the framework and interpreting the findings to both learn what

works and evidence impact.





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OD

The Organisation Dial



This is a tool which can be used by the organisation itself alone or with a development

worker to help identify strengths and weaknesses as a basis for organisational development



We want to help you to be as effective and efficient as possible in meeting your mission as

an organisation. This means:-



1. Being needs led and strategic

2. Being fit for funding and sustainably funded

3. Delivering effective services

4. Learning and improving

5. Well led and governed

6. Well managed

7. Using resources efficiently

8. Positively influencing the environment



No organisation achieves this in a single leap. Organisations that have systematically

increased their effectiveness describe a series of steps:-



At risk and unaware: At the beginning practice is very poor but the organisation is not

aware of this and not thinking about change

Aware: They then become aware that practice is poor and want to make changes but may

not know how to and need help

Making changes: From here they start to take action and put in place new initiatives to

tackle key areas

Getting there: Now improvements have been made where needed and things are mostly

good enough

Strong or excellent: Some organisations go on to be very strong and may even start to lead

the field through their good practice and innovation



Have a look at the scales below and see where you are on the journey for each of these

areas. In the scales below, within each of the five stages the first number indicates that

your organisation is just at the start of that stage and the second that it may be nearly up to

the next stage.



When you have done that, plot your scores on the Organisation Dial to see what shape your

organisation is in. You can then go on to think about your goals for development and

complete the Organisation Development Action Plan.









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The Organisation Dial



Name of IO: _________________________________________________



Name of Organisation: __________________________________________



Date of readings: 1. ________________ 2. _________________ 3. ___________________



Now plot your scores on the Dial and see what shape your organisation is in.









You can use this to think about your goals for developing as an organisation and complete

the Organisation Development Action Plan (to follow)









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1. Needs led and Strategic

Your organisation is clear about which needs it exist to meet and its intended outcomes. It

has a strategy for achieving those outcomes and understands the current pattern of need in

the area in which you operate.



1-2 At risk and Planning is month to month and day to day and, without a clear

unaware understanding of needs and strategy for meeting them, your

organisation may be pulled in different directions according to

funding or external pressures or ignoring important areas of need. By

2 some people wish there was time to plan ahead but never quite

prioritise it.

3-4 Aware Planning is month to month and there is no clear strategy or

understanding of needs but there are people in your organisation

starting to think ahead and initiatives such as away days to develop a

strategy or plans to research need. However these haven’t resulted in

a clear strategy yet

5-6 Making There is a plan but there are significant shortcomings. For instance it

changes is not based on any systematic research into need or it is not actively

used or was written by one person without consultation. Where

improvements are needed, people are actively working on it

7-8 Getting There is a clear written strategy for 3 to 5 years based on some

there understanding of need and systems for reviewing this regularly.

Understanding of strategy is generally good throughout the

organisation but there are pockets going their own way or initiatives

that are not strategically justifiable

9-10 Strong- There is a clear vision based on a focus on the needs of your clients

excellent and on achieving outcomes and there is a clear strategy and plans for

implementation. Confidence in your direction and value means you

only undertake work which fits with your vision and values





2. Fit for funding and sustainably funded

Your organisation has an appropriate range of sources of income - maybe including grants,

earned income, contracts and other sources. The organisation has an effective sustainable

funding strategy and the necessary skills and good relationships with funders to implement

it effectively. People anticipate the end of fixed term funding contracts or grants and plan

well in advance to renew of replace that funding source.



1-2 At risk and Your organisation has frequent financial crisis and/or is highly

unaware dependent on one or few short term or unreliable sources of income.

By 2 someone is considering options to be more sustainable but these

are quickly dismissed as inappropriate or impossible.

3-4 Aware There are people within your organisation who want to tackle the

precarious funding situation but don't know how to or encounter

resistance. By 4 they start getting some information or support.

5-6 Making There are initiatives underway to find additional sources of income or

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changes strengthen existing ones. By 6 you will be seeing some progress

7-8 Getting Your organisation has a range of sources of income, some are secure

there for over a year but others are very short-term or not very sustainable.

Efforts are underway to make your funding situation more robust.

9-10 Strong- Your organisation has a strong funding base clearly linked to your

excellent strategy. By 10 your funding gives you enough strategic freedom to

take initiatives and be entrepreneurial as an organisation.





3. Delivering an effective service

Whatever your service is, be it working with individuals or communities or campaigning for

change, it should be delivered using methods that have been shown to be effective. This

means being aware of and using existing knowledge of what works and implementing good

practice in service delivery as appropriate to your work.



1-2 At risk and Your organisation is not using effective methods of working and may

unaware be delivering the service in the same way as has been done for years

without engaging with the wider world to find out about better ways

3-4 Aware There are people in your organisation concerned that your service

delivery is not as effective as it could be. By 4 one or more people are

exploring evidence based practice that might be relevant

5-6 Making There are initiatives to improvement your ways of working, but these

changes are likely to be encountering resistance from staff and possibly

managers or trustees. By 6 improvements are evident at least in

some services

7-8 Getting Service delivery methods and policies are largely based on methods

there known to be effective, but there is quite a lot of variation in the

extent to which people implement good practice so quality is quite

variable. By 8 it is getting more consistent

9-10 Strong- Your organisation delivers an effective service based on evidence of

excellent what works and keeps up to date with new methods. By 10, your

organisation helps develop good practice in service delivery







4. Learning and improving

As an organisation you value learning and encourage people to try new things and innovate.

You keep up to date with developments in your field and gather evidence of the outcomes

of your work on a regular basis. The information you collect is used as a basis for reflection

and learning and fed into improving what you do. As a result, your organisation is flexible

and creative and a good environment for trying out new ways of working and for

innovation.



1-2 At risk and Your organisation does not evaluate the effectiveness of its services or

unaware monitor outcomes on a regular basis and does not encourage people to

reflect on how to improve effectiveness

3-4 Aware Your organisation is not learning and improving but there are people

who want to change that. By 4 their voices are being heard and there

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may be plans for some monitoring or evaluation

5-6 Making There are some initiatives to find out what is and is not working or

changes encourage innovation. Perhaps there are one-off evaluations and

maybe there are systems for measuring outcomes in place but the data

is not being collated and analysed. By 6 there are some instances of

learning and new ideas being fed into planning but these are one-offs

rather than something that happens on a regular basis.

7-8 Getting Your organisation is routinely gathering evidence of outcomes and

there some do some analysis of the data for learning. By 8, information is

routinely used for learning and planning. There is some evidence of

initiatives to support innovation.

9-10 Strong- You are a learning and innovative organisation. You monitor, evaluate

excellent and reflect, including understanding your outcomes. By 10 you can

evidence instances of learning drawn from reflection and outcome

measurement which have led to improvements in service delivery

and/or you can point to innovations in the field that have been

initiated by your organisation



5. Well led

Your trustees and senior managers understand their roles and responsibilities and carry

those out effectively, including leadership, management of risk and clarity of the respective

roles of the Board and Chief Executive (CEO). Trustee vacancies are filled and your trustees

have the necessary skills between them.



1-2 At risk and Your organisation is at risk and lacks leadership because your board

unaware and senior management are not functioning well enough. By 2 some

board members or senior managers have concerns about this but

overall there is no recognition of risk and no change happening.

3-4 Aware Your organisation is at risk and lacks leadership but there is

recognition of this. By 4 there are individuals within the board or

senior management team seeking solutions though change is not yet

evident

5-6 Making There are issues with leadership and governance but your Board

changes and/or senior managers are actively taking steps to improve

governance and leadership, setting a vision and improving the way

they work together, including challenging past patterns. By 6 you are

seeing improvements.

7-8 Getting Your board and senior managers cover all key areas of responsibility

there well enough to avoid risk to your organisation and mostly work well

together, but there is room for improvement in terms of leadership

and taking the organisation forward

9-10 Strong- Your board and senior managers are actively leading and taking your

excellent organisation forward and working well together. At 10 the board is a

creative, challenging space where everyone works to their potential

individually and collectively to achieve the mission of the

organisation, and the CEO is taking an effective leadership role





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6. Well managed

As a result of good management of the workforce - including volunteers - your organisation

is a good place to work, where people feel valued and able to take appropriate risk and

people at all levels are able and motivated to work effectively. Levels of staff sickness,

absence and staff turnover are all low. People know what their roles are and there is good

working across and between teams where appropriate.



1-2 At risk and Serious management issues - above or below the surface – are putting

unaware your organisation at risk. Maybe people are unclear about their roles

and responsibilities, overworked, lacking skills, under resourced, de-

motivated or afraid to take risks. Perhaps unnecessary time, energy

and money are spent due to high levels of sickness, absence, staff

turnover or disciplinary issues. By 2 some people are concerned but

nothing is being done to change this

3-4 Aware Your organisation is at risk due to serious management issues but key

people internally recognise the weaknesses and there may be some

strengths too. By 4 some people are actively making changes to

improve the situation, although the benefits are not yet evident.

5-6 Making Changes are being made, things are getting better and poor

changes management is not a serious threat to the organisation. However,

there are significant management issues - for instance ineffective

working between teams, poor management of disciplinary issues or

substantial work overload. By 6 people are starting to tackle these

7-8 Getting Your organisation is reasonably well-managed. On the whole, people

there are able and motivated to do their jobs well and issues that arise are

mostly dealt with effectively. There is still room for improvement and

by 8, people engaged in making that happen.

9-10 Strong- The workforce enables the organisation to achieve high performance

excellent levels and show that it is truly a cut above its peers and competitors.





7. Using resources efficiently

Your organisation is managing the resources it has efficiently. This includes good financial

management and allocating resources where they are needed most. It may also include

people finding ways to reduce costs and/or increase effectiveness through sharing functions

with other organisations, for example.



1-2 At risk and Your organisation is inefficient and/or at risk through poor financial

unaware management and allocation of resources and no one is doing anything

about this. By 2 at least one person is concerned about these issues

but they are not being picked up by others

3-4 Aware Poor management of resources mean that the organisation is at risk

but key people are aware of this and by 4 are actively getting support

to sort things out

5-6 Making Work is underway to improve the management of financial and other

changes resources. By 6 your organisation is starting to see the benefits but



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there is a significant amount to do

7-8 Getting Financial management is good enough to enable the organisation to

there operate and to provide information for planning and resource

allocation. By 8 people are exploring extra efficiency savings or more

effective allocation of resources to priority areas

9-10 Strong- Your organisation manages its finances and uses resources efficiently.

excellent By 10 your organisation and has found ways to reduce or share costs

and allocate resources to maximum effect and is innovative in

exploring ongoing improvements.







8. Positively influencing the environment

This scale is about your organisation having the motivation, skills and contacts to positively

influence your environment and doing so effectively. This includes being clear about what

the key messages are and being able to communicate those messages effectively. This may

be about influencing national or local government policy either on your own or as part of a

network, or helping to improve practice within your sector.



1-2 At risk and Your organisation does not engage in any way to influence others. This

unaware may be seen as somebody else's job or people lack the skills or are

unable to prioritise the time.

3-4 Aware One or more individuals within your organisation is aware of the need

to try and influence some aspects of the wider environment, such as

policy or practice, but may not have the contacts or skills necessary to

engage effectively or not know the key messages

5-6 Making Some people are clear about the key messages your organisation needs

changes to communicate in order to make a difference and the organization is

starting to find ways to do this, with some success by 6

7-8 Getting Your organisation is engaged in discussions or forums to influence key

there areas of policy or practice, either individually or as part of a network,

though the quality or effectiveness of that engagement varies

9-10 Strong- Most people within your organisation believe they can and should

excellent make a difference when it comes to policies and practice and are

effective. By 10 your organisation may be one of the leading voices for

change, is well respected and has the ear of key policymakers









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OS

The Organisation Survey



This survey is to be completed by workers, managers and volunteers within an organisation.

Completing the survey at regular intervals will give information about change over time

within each of the eight outcome areas.



Name of Organisation: __________________________________ Date: _______________



Your job title or role: _______________________________________________________



Please tick which of the following broadly defines your role:

 Board member  Senior manager

 Other volunteer  Worker delivering the service

 Team leader or middle manager  Administration worker



Please respond to the following questions from your own perspective, choosing the options

that you believe best describes your organisation and your experience at the moment.



1. Needs led and Strategic

Which statement best describes your experience in relation to strategy?



 There is no clear strategy as far as I am aware. I can feel unsure of my role, worry

that we are not meeting important areas of need and/or we get pulled in different

directions according to funding or external pressures

 I am not aware of a clear understanding of needs or strategy guiding our work but

some people in the organisation are trying to improve things and there are initiatives

such as awaydays

 I know that planning is done and there may be an overall strategy but I am not clear

what is in it or whether it is based on clear understanding of need

 The organisation has a 3 - 5 year strategic plan and I understand the main aims

within it, but there are things we do that don’t fit with the plan

 I clearly understand the vision and strategy of the organisation; it is focused on the

needs of our clients and on outcomes and guides work across the organisation

 I don’t know enough to answer this question or it is not relevant to my role



Are you clear how your role and job contributes to meeting the aims or strategy of your

organisation?



 Yes, completely or to a large extent

 Yes, at least in part

 Not sure

 No, hardly or not at all



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Please add any comments on your view of how needs led and strategic your organisation is

and/or your understanding of that strategy:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________



2. Fit for funding and sustainably funded

In your view, on a scale of 1-10 how ‘fit for funding’ is your organisation, where 10 is having

good fundraising knowledge and skills internally and the necessary systems in place?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



How sustainable do you think your funding is, where 1 is vulnerable and underfunded and

10 means your organisation has a range of sources and you feel confident that funding will

be sustained?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Which of the following best describes your organisation in relation to funding, in your view?



 We seem to go from one funding crisis to the next; this affects my ability to carry out

my role and little is being done to change this

 Funding is always and issue but people are trying to find new sources of funding or

make us more fundable

 Funding is not secure but the organisation stays out of crisis and people are actively

working on ways to diversify funding and/or become more fit for funding

 Funding issues do not have a significant affect on my role, though more needs to be

done to increase sustainability

 I feel confident that the organisation is sustainably funded and in a way that is linked

to strategy and gives us freedom to be responsive and entrepreneurial

 I don’t know enough to answer this question or it is not relevant to my role



Please add any comments on your view of how sustainable your organisation is:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________



3. Delivering an effective service

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the effectiveness of the services delivered or work

done by your organisation, where 10 is fully implementing good practice across all services?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Are you directly involved in delivering the service of your organisation?



 Yes

 No – skip to the next question





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Which of the following best describes the effectiveness and quality of your service delivery,

in your experience?



 I am not sufficiently trained or supported in my role or I am aware that the service is

not exploring or following good practice guidelines

 I am not well trained or supported but some people are exploring ways to improve

our service delivery through training or improved methods

 I am receiving training or support and/or improvements are being made to our ways

of working

 I am trained to the required standard but not confident that we keep up with good

practice or base our ways of working on methods proved to be successful

 I am trained to a high standard to carry out my role and my skills are regularly

reviewed and updated with new developments in good practice



What does your organisation do in order to keep up to date with developments in good

practice in service delivery?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________





4. Learning and improving



Does your organisation routinely evaluate and monitor activities and services, including

gathering evidence of outcomes?



 Yes, including outcomes  No

 Yes, but not much on outcomes  Don’t know



On a scale of 1-10, to what extent does your organisation learn, where 10 includes

information being regularly drawn together and used as a basis for planning?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



On a scale of 1-10, how innovative do you consider your organisation to be, where 10

includes having a culture of taking appropriate risks and trying new approaches?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Which of the following best describes your organisation, in your view?



 I am not able to learn from what happens internally or externally to improve my role

and things are done in the same way as they have been for years

 I am aware of initiatives to improve monitoring and evaluation but learning is not fed

into improving how I work

 Monitoring and evaluation is done but I am not aware of the learning and/or not

confident that is fed into ways to improve my role



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 I am aware of or involved in initiatives to evaluate what is and is not working and/or

link with others in our field; learning and new ideas contribute to planning

 I am confident that what I do is based on evidence of what works and that the

organisation is effectively both learning and innovative

 I don’t know enough to answer this question or it is not relevant to my role



Please add any comments on your perception of your organisation as learning and

innovative, including evidence for your view:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________



5. Well led

Do you always or nearly always have a number of vacancies on your Board of Trustees?



 Yes, usually more than two vacancies

 Yes, but usually only one or two

 No, vacancies are quickly filled



On a scale of 1-10, to what extent would you say your trustees understand their roles and

responsibilities and carry those out effectively, where 10 includes taking a leadership role,

managing risk, and working well together?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Which of the following best describes your organisation, in your view?



 I am not aware of the effectiveness of the Board

 The organisation is at risk because the Board is not functioning well enough and little

change is happening

 The organisation is at risk because the Board is not functioning well enough but

there is recognition of this and individuals seeking solutions

 The Board is in a process of improving, for instance findings ways to improve

governance, setting a vision and improving the way they work together

 The Board covers the key areas of responsibility well enough to avoid risk to the

organisation but could improve leadership and taking the organisation forward

 The Board is actively leading and taking the organisation forward; everyone works to

their potential individually and collectively to achieve the mission of the organisation



Please add any comments on your view of your organisation’s leadership and governance

and how you know it is or is not following good practice:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________









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6. Well managed



On a scale of 1-10, is your organisation a good place to work, where 10 is that you feel

valued, purposeful and able to take appropriate risks?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Do you feel able to carry out your role effectively?



 Yes, definitely  Could be better  No, not really



Which of the following best describes your experience of working in your organisation?



 I do not feel adequately managed to carry out my role effectively and things are not

improving

 I am not well managed and expectations are not clear and seem to vary across the

organisation but things are getting better

 I am clear about expectations and have basic management in place but do not feel

well supported or enabled to contribute my best

 I am mostly clear about my role and supported to carry it out. I usually know what is

expected of me though sometimes policies and procedures are not clear

 I am well managed and able to do my job. I view the organisation as well managed

with strong leadership

 I don’t know enough to answer this question



Please add any comments on your view of your organisation’s service delivery and how you

know whether or not it is following good practice:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________



Managers or those with an HR function only:

What is the level of each of the following?



Staff sickness and absence: ______________________________________________



Staff turnover: ________________________________________________________



Disciplinary or grievance procedures: ______________________________________



Are there any areas in which the organisation is not legally compliant in relation to HR or

has insufficient policies?



 Yes, several areas of concern

 Yes a few areas of concern

 No, policies and procedures are compliant

 No, policies and procedures are good or excellent









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7. Using resources efficiently



On a scale of 1-10 would you say your organisation uses resources efficiently?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



To what extent does your organisation have good financial management?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Which of the following best describes your organisation, as far as you are aware?



 I don’t know enough about the financial systems to answer this question

 The organisation is inefficient and/or at risk due to inadequate financial systems

 Basic bookkeeping is done and there is some reporting of financial information but

the organisation is inefficient

 Financial and other systems are being improved but there is a significant amount to

do to be really efficient

 A budget, financial reporting, record-keeping and essential financial procedures are

all in place, with a few shortcomings

 The organisation manages its finances and uses resources efficiently. It is innovative

in finding new ways to reduce or share costs and allocate resources more effectively



Does your organisation share back-office or HR functions with other organisations?



 Yes, a lot and effectively

 Yes to some extent but could do more

 No and that might help save resources

 No but it would not be appropriate for us



Please add any comments on your view of your organisation’s efficiency and use of

resources:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________





8. Able to influence its environment



 Tick here if you do not feel you are in a position to comment on your organisation in

relation to campaigning or other influencing of policy and practice (then go to section 9)



On a scale of 1-10, to what extent would you say your organisation has the motivation and

skills to positively influence your environment as needed?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10







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How often does your organisation get actively involved in trying to influence local or central

government policy or other influencing?



 Frequently  Rarely or occasionally

 Sometimes  Never



Are you involved in a policy network or group involved in influencing?



 Yes, active within one or more networks

 Yes but not very actively

 No



To what extent is your organisation well connected and listened to by policy makers?



 Our views are regularly sought by policy makers

 We have contacts and they listen sometimes

 We are not well connected or policy makers do not listen sufficiently





Do you see it as part of your role to get involved in trying to influence policy and practice?



 Yes  No  Don’t know



Please add any examples of successful influencing in which your organisation has been

involved:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________





9. Closing comments:



Please use the space below to add anything not covered above:



_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________





Thank you for taking the time to respond to this survey. Your answers will be treated in

confidence.



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OT

Standard impact monitoring question templates



These are standard outcome or impact question templates which for use within monitoring and

feedback sheets at training, workshops, conferences and other events. Any of the question templates

can be completed by inserting the intended outcomes of the event and that people then respond using

the scales. All measure outcomes/impact and could be completed and used for events aiming to

achieve outcomes within any or all of the eight areas of the framework. The results can be used as part

of evidence of impact of your IO.







This section includes templates for three different question forms:



1. ‘Before and after’ questions

These are for use when participants at training or other events are asked to complete a brief form

before the start of the event and again at the end. The forms need to be on two sides of the same sheet

or otherwise kept together so that before and after responses for the same person can be compared to

give a proportion of participants showing positive change as well as average start and end scores. These

are only really appropriate for focused training for a day or more.



2. Outcome questions for end of event evaluation forms

These are for use when participants at training or other events are just asked to complete one brief

evaluation form on leaving. This would be appropriate for a conference or workshop.



3. Follow up questions to measure lasting impact

These are for use when participants at training or other events are asked if they would mind being

followed up after a few months to see how they have used their new knowledge and skills. This means

it is possible to gather evidence of action.







Sample questions for illustration

At the end of the templates section there are also some examples of completed questions for particular

events, capturing evidence of outcomes in one or more of the eight areas in the framework. These are

intended to illustration purposes and only include example questions for a few of the eight areas in the

framework.









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1. Blank templates for ‘before and after’ questions to measure outcomes

These questions would all be asked at the start of a course/ training/ event and repeated at the end.

Template for before and after questions to capture change in knowledge and understanding:



Please rate your current understanding of the following areas. Please tick one box for each issue.

New Just aware Aware of Developing Good

idea/not of the issue and keen my working

considered to learn knowledge knowledge

Area of understanding:

more

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10









Template for before and after questions to capture change in attitude:



Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which the Strongly disagree Not sure agree Strongly

following statements apply to you disagree agree









Template for before and after questions to capture increased ability or confidence to take action:



How confident do you feel about [aim of the course], where 1 not at all confident and 10 is completely

confident?



Confidence to… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10









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2. Blank template for outcome questions for end of event evaluation forms

[Complete using statements starting with "I" or "my organisation"]



As a result of this event which of the following apply to you?



Yes, very/ Yes, a bit No, but I did No

a lot already









3. Blank template for follow up impact questions:



a) Have you [specify expected actions] since the training?

 Yes

 No [skip the rest of the question)



b) Specifically, in which of the following have taken action?

 List possible or intended actions following the training

 Possible or intended action following the training

 Possible or intended action following the training

 Possible or intended action following the training

 improving planning and management

 Other (please say what):



Please expand on the above actions to say a bit more about what you are doing:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Contribution of [IO input]

Which of the following statements best describes the influence of [IO input3] in your taking those

actions?

 IO convinced us of the need to .....

 We were already doing it but IO input made it easier

 IO gave us more confidence but did not change what we were doing

 IO had a significant effect on what we did

 Other:



Could you say something specific about how [the IO input] helped you take this action?

________________________________________________________________________



3

Specify what the IO input was in this case

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________________________________________________________________________

Examples of outcome questions for monitoring forms

NB: the following are examples of how the above question templates could be used to capture outcomes

of specific events. While IOs are free to draw in these examples if they are running events with the same

intended outcomes, note that the examples do not cover all the eight areas in the framework and are

intended for illustration purposes only. Because the aim or intended outcomes of events are likely to be

quite specific to a particular event, it would not be possible to develop standard questions for all areas of

the framework using this approach.



Examples of before and after question to capture change in knowledge and understanding:



Please rate your current knowledge and understanding of the following areas, where 1 is no

knowledge or understanding of the subject and 10 is a good working knowledge. Please tick one box for

each issue.



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Sustainable funding principles and practice

3-5 year strategic business planning

Earning income through trading

Public service delivery

Good grant applications







Please rate your current understanding of the following areas. Please tick one box for each issue.

New Just aware Aware of Developing Good

idea/not of the issue and keen my working

considered to learn knowledge knowledge

Understanding of:

more

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Why good governance is necessary for voluntary

and community organisations

Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and

Community Sector

How to use the Code (and toolkit) as a learning and

development tool

Why good trustee recruitment is difficult and

important

What good trustee recruitment looks like









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Example of before and after questions to capture change in attitude:

Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which the following statements apply to you



Strongly disagree Not sure agree Strongly

Statements in relation to influencing policy and practice disagree agree

Our organisation is needs led and strategic



We need to look at earned income as well as grants if

we are to be sustainable

To be effective our organisation needs to keep looking

outwards at new trends, evidence and learning

It is not our role or responsibility to get actively

involved in trying to change policies and practice





Examples of before and after questions to capture increased ability or confidence to take action:



How confident do you feel about supporting frontline organisations with trustee recruitment and

sharing your knowledge of good governance, where 1 not at all confident and 10 is completely

confident?

Confidence to… 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Help and guide boards who are seeking the best

people to govern their VCO

Communicate why good governance is necessary

for voluntary and community organisations

Share Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary

and Community Sector (the ‘Code’)



How confident do you feel about supporting people in community groups to improve their leadership

where 1 means not at all confident and 10 is completely confident?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I feel confident to support VCOs in improving

leadership

I feel confident to use a range of tools when

working with VCOs to improve leadership









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Example outcome questions for end of event evaluation forms

These are for use when participants at training or other events are just asked to complete one brief

evaluation form on leaving. This would be appropriate for a conference or workshop.



Example:

As a result of this event which of the following apply to you?

Yes, very/ Yes, a bit No, but I did No

a lot already

I have more understanding of why good governance

is important for charities

I am more convinced of the need for good

recruitment and induction processes

I understand how to follow best practice in

recruitment

I am more confident that we will be able to recruit

the right people







Example of follow up questions to measure lasting impact

These are for use when participants at training or other events are asked if they would mind being

followed up after a few months to see how they have used their new knowledge and skills. This means it

is possible to gather evidence of action.



Action taken since the training

a) Have you advised VCOs on action to become more sustainable since the training?

 Yes

 No [skip the rest of the question)



b) Specifically, in which of the following have you provided advice or information to VCOs?

 Need for a sustainable funding approach

 Trading

 Contracting

 Other diversification of funding or income generation (please say what):

Please expand on the above actions to say a bit more about what you are doing:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Contribution of [IO input]

Which of the following statements best describes the influence of [IO input4] in your taking those

actions?

 IO convinced us of the need to offer this support

 We were already doing it but IO input made it easier



4

Specify what the IO input was in this case

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 IO gave us more confidence but did not change what we were doing

 IO had a significant effect on what we did

 Other:



Could you say something specific about how [the IO input] helped you take this action?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Template for follow up impact questions:



a) Have you [specify expected actions] since the training?



 Yes

 No [skip the rest of the question)



b) Specifically, in which of the following have taken action?

 List possible or intended actions following the training

 Possible or intended action following the training

 Possible or intended action following the training

 Possible or intended action following the training

 improving planning and management

 Other (please say what):



Please expand on the above actions to say a bit more about what you are doing:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Contribution of [IO input]

Which of the following statements best describes the influence of [IO input5] in your taking those

actions?

 IO convinced us of the need to .....

 We were already doing it but IO input made it easier

 IO gave us more confidence but did not change what we were doing

 IO had a significant effect on what we did

 Other:



Could you say something specific about how [the IO input] helped you take this action?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________







5

Specify what the IO input was in this case

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OC

Case study template

Use this template to summarise the changes to the organisation as a result of the input of

the IO. In each section focus on how the organisation was before you started work with them

and how they are now, drawing on the suggestions to highlight evidence of changes.



Organisation name: ________________________ Date: __________________



Give a brief introduction about this organisation and the extent of the work you have done

with them.









1. Needs led and strategic

Think about:

 Clarity about

client needs and

clear strategy

for meeting

those needs

 Decisions based

on a strategic

plan



2. Fit for funding and sustainably funded

Think about:

 Range of

sources of

income

 Planning for end

of funding

 Skills and

knowledge for

fundraising





3. Delivering an effective service

Think about:

 Training to

required

standards

 Adopting

evidence based

good practice





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4. Learning and improving

Think about:

 Monitoring and

evaluation,

particularly of

outcomes

 Learning from

the world

around

 Feeding learning

into planning





5. Well led

Think about:

 effective

governance by

The Board

 effective

leadership by

the CEO and

senior managers







6. Well managed

Think about:

 Policies and

practice in place

 Level of HR

issues absorbing

energy

 Is it a good

place to work





7. Using their resources efficiently

Think about:

 good financial

management

 efficient

allocation of

resources





8. Positively influencing their environment

Think about:

 Motivation and

interest

 Skills

 Contacts and

networks

 Active

involvement in

influencing



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OW

In depth working tools



These tools are intended for use by development workers when focusing in depth on a

particular area. They are a good basis for discussion in a group situation and provide a quick

visual of key needs and successes as well as evidence of outcomes achieved.



At the moment the three tools which exist for this purpose are:



 Sustainable sunshine

 Governance Star

 Workforce wheel



If you are completing one of these tools with an organisation, you can use the average score

on the tool as the basis for a score in that spoke of the organisation dial.



Additional tools for other areas of the framework may be developed if there is a need, for

instance:



 The strategy spiral

 Influence wheel







Note: These tools are not part of this pilot of the Evidencing the Value of Infrastructure

tool-box and will be tested and added later if needed.









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SD

Sector Dial



Your aim as an IO is to enable your sector to be as effective and efficient as possible in

promoting its cause and meeting the needs of those it exists to serve. An effective and

efficient sector is one which:



1. Is needs led and strategic

2. Is fit for funding and sustainably funded

3. Supports effective service delivery

4. Is learning and innovative

5. Supports strong leadership

6. Supports good management

7. Uses resources efficiently

8. Positively influences the environment



A sector doesn’t achieve this in a single leap. Sectors that have systematically increased

their effectiveness describe a series of steps through which they transform the way that the

sector operates:-



At risk and unaware: At the beginning practice is very poor but the sector is not aware of

this and not thinking about change

Aware: The sector then becomes aware that practice is poor and wants to make changes -

discussion papers and conversations but no action

Making changes: From here they start to take action and put in place new initiatives to

tackle key areas, however at this stage there aren’t any results yet

Getting there: Now the initiatives start to yield results and learning on which to build

Strong or excellent: the sector is very strong or even excellent becoming an innovative

front-runner from which other sectors learn



Have a look at the scales below and see where your sector is on the journey for each of

these areas. Within each of the five stages the first number indicates that your sector is just

at the start of that stage and the second that it is clearly there and may be nearly up to the

next stage.



When you have done that, plot your scores on the Sector Dial to see what shape your sector

is in. You can then go on to think about your goals for the development of the sector and

complete the Action Plan









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The Sector Dial:



Name of IO: _________________________________________________



Sector: ______________________________________________________



Date of reading: 1. ________________ 2. _________________ 3. ___________________







Now plot your scores on the Dial and see what shape your sector is in.









You can use this to think about your goals for developing as a sector and complete the

Sector Action Plan (to follow)









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1. Needs led and strategic

Even if individual organisations are effective at meeting the needs that they work on, if

there is no overview of needs covered, there is a high risk of there being gaps between

organisations and that emerging needs may go unrecognised. This section is also about what

happens when gaps are identified - whether resources can quickly be found or reallocated

to meet them.



1-2 Weak and It is very likely that there are unmet needs within the sector but there

unaware is no way of knowing and no systems or processes in place to identify

changing patterns of need or gaps between organisations. No one

seems to be aware that this is a problem

3-4 Aware There are no systems or processes to identify new or unmet needs

but some individuals in the sector are aware that this is a problem and

are trying to find ways to address it

5-6 Making There are initiatives underway to draw together information on what

changes needs are and are not being met within the sector and to set up ways

to identify new and emerging needs. By 6 knowledge is improving but

it is not at all clear how any gaps identified might be filled

7-8 Getting There are systems or processes in place through which emerging

there needs come to light and there are ways to agree who will take the

initiative to meet those needs. It sometimes takes a long time to

agree a way forward or find or reallocate resources as necessary

9-10 Strong- The sector is flexible and well-informed. There are no significant gaps

excellent between services and where new needs emerge these are quickly

recognised and resources are found or reallocated to meet them



2. Fit for funding and sustainably funded

To be sustainable, a sector needs diverse sources of funding, including earned income if

possible. This section is also about how any severe or widespread threats to funding are

addressed.



1-2 Weak and Funding within the sector is vulnerable, short term and/or

unaware concentrated on a few sources that are not robust long-term. There

may be specific cuts or threats having a big impact but little action to

avert funding crises

3-4 Aware Funding is vulnerable but key people in the sector are aware of this.

By 4 there is an awareness of the need to diversify funding or make

the sector more fit for funding

5-6 Making There are some pockets within the sector where people are actively

changes working to diversify funding or improve reputation with key funders.

By 6 this is starting to give rise to improvements

7-8 Getting The funding situation is adequate and may be improving but more

there needs to done to ensure future sustainability

9-10 Strong- Funding within the sector is robust and diverse, including earned

excellent income where possible. There is evidence of effectiveness of the



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sector and strong representation to key funders for sustained funding

for the VCS within this sector

3. Supports effective service delivery

To enable organisations to deliver effective services, a sector needs appropriate

qualifications and training, quality standards, accessible up-to-date and robust evidence of

what works, good practice guides and other relevant support in place.



1-2 Weak and There are few qualifications available and little in the way of good

unaware practice guides, standards or evidence of what works in this area and

no research or other initiatives underway.

3-4 Aware There is some recognition of the need for training, qualifications,

standards and good practice guidance. However, any moves to

improve things are in the early stages and nothing has yet changed.

5-6 Making Essential training and qualifications are in place and some research,

changes sharing of information or other initiatives are underway. By 6 this is

starting to have an effect at least in some parts of the sector

7-8 Getting Qualifications, training, standards and good practice are all available

there but take-up varies across the sector.

9-10 Strong- There is widespread adoption of good practice, qualifications and

excellent standards based on robust evidence of what works. By 10 other

sectors may be learning from your sector and excellence is

recognised.



4. Learning and innovation

Learning includes having ways to evidence outcomes within the sector and drawing

outcomes information together across the sector as a basis for learning what works – and

having that knowledge shared and accessible. Innovation is about active debates and

initiatives within the sector to make practice more and more effective. This may become

particularly important when funding is being reduced, giving greater urgency to the need to

find creative solutions to achieve the same outcomes with less money, for example.



1-2 Weak and There is no outcome or impact information across the sector. There

unaware is no innovation happening and no awareness that this is a problem.

3-4 Aware There is awareness that the lack of understanding of outcomes

prevents the sector really learning and improving and that lack of

innovation is hindering the effectiveness of the sector. Perhaps new

people coming into the sector that have brought a new perspective

5-6 Making There are some tools or guidance to help gather evidence of impact

changes but they are not widely used. Perhaps there are also initiatives to

support innovation for instance secondments or visits. By 6 some of

these initiatives are giving rise to new learning

7-8 Getting There is some outcomes measurement and there may be some high

there quality tools that are used across the sector. There is some

innovation but room for more. Perhaps there are lots of new ideas

but not enough funding or dissemination is patchy across the sector

9-10 Strong- The sector can point to many examples of innovation and has robust

excellent evidence of outcomes and impact as a basis for continued learning.



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There is a culture of trying new things and funding to support

innovation

5. Supports strong leadership

Organisations within the sector can access good support around leadership and governance.

Support could include guidance and other relevant tools and resources, mentoring

opportunities, consultancy or training.



1-2 At risk and There is little or no information or guidance available around

unaware leadership and governance, few resources or training and no

initiatives underway to address this at the level of the sector.

3-4 Aware There is some recognition of the need to address leadership and

governance and the need for guidance, resources or training at

sector level but any moves to improve things are in the early stages

and nothing has yet changed.

5-6 Making Some initiatives are underway to make guidance and resources

changes available around leadership and governance. They are in their early

stages but by 6 are starting to have an effect in pockets.

7-8 Getting There are adequate resources, guidance and training to support

there organisations to strengthen their leadership and governance where

necessary, including recognition of what is good practice. But there

is a way to go in terms of consistent sharing or use of this

knowledge.

9-10 Strong- Good guidance, training and other resources are available to ensure

excellent that the sector effectively supports organisations within it to have

strong governance and leadership. By 10 other sectors may be

learning from your sector and excellence is recognised.



6. Supports good management

Organisations within the sector can access appropriate support for effective workforce

management. This includes appropriate training or accreditation for workers and guidance,

training, tools and resources or mentoring opportunities for managers.



1-2 Weak and Organisations cannot access appropriate training, accreditation or

unaware other resources to support good workforce management and there is

no apparent recognition that this is a problem or need.

3-4 Aware Organisations cannot access what they need to support good

workforce management but people within the sector recognised this

is a need. By 4 they are trying to do something about it, without

success as yet

5-6 Making There are initiatives to develop or introduce training, accreditation or

changes other necessary systems and by 6 some examples of effective support

for organisations

7-8 Getting Organisations within the sector have access to training, accreditation

there and other resources key systems are in place within the sector and

there are pockets where they are used consistently but still areas of

need

9-10 Strong- Training, accreditation and other systems are used as a matter of

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excellent course throughout the sector to good effect.



7. Uses resources effectively

This is about ensuring that a sector as a whole is effective. This means avoiding unhelpful

duplication, supporting mergers where needed and spotting opportunities to increase

effectiveness through joint working



1-2 At risk and There may be unhelpful duplication between organization or many

unaware organisations within the area or sector that are at risk and not

sustainable, but little or nothing is happening to explore whether

collaboration merger is an appropriate way forward

3-4 Aware There may be unhelpful duplication between organizations or many

organisations that are not sustainable and at least in some of those

organisations there is recognition that greater collaboration or

mergers could be the way ahead and support collective organisational

strength

5-6 Making Some organisations are starting to collaborate on certain projects or

changes to discuss merger

7-8 Getting There is a substantial amount of collaboration within the sector and

there some organisations that have merged, though this may not always be

done very well and/or more is needed

9-10 Strong- Collaboration is widespread and very effective and there is no

excellent unhelpful duplication By 10 other sectors might be looking to yours

for good practice around collaboration or merger.



8. Positively influences the environment

This is about the sector being effective in coming together to analyse its environment,

identify clear messages and strategies for communicating them and achieving the changes

required.



1-2 Weak and The sector is not effectively influencing external decision makers.

unaware People within the sector don’t talk about policy, there is no joint

working, and no effective representation of its position externally.

There is little awareness that things could be different.

3-4 Aware As above but there is a desire to change this and a belief that it is

possible. Some people are engaging with policy but it is always the

same people who are active and they are not necessarily very effective

5-6 Making There are initiatives to bring organizations together with the goal of

changes developing clear messages and more effectively influencing others.

Perhaps expertise is brought in from elsewhere

7-8 Getting The sector’s work on influencing is adequate. There are some clear

there messages, the development of some shared positions and strategy, and

reasonable evidence to feed into policy discussions.

9-10 Strong- The sector effectively influences the external world around relevant

excellent policy and practice as needed and can point to clear examples of issues

being identified and acted upon resulting in positive changes. By 10



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the sector is proactively setting the agenda with government, the

media and other stakeholders.









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SS

Sector Survey for [insert name or description of sector]



This survey questionnaire is to be completed by people in organisations or institutions who

are in a position to comment on the state of the sector as a whole. In addition to those

working within the IO, these could include key individuals in relevant local government

departments, partner organisations and other stakeholders.



Name: ________________________________________ Date: ___________________



Organisation: ___________________________________________________________



Relationship to the sector:

 Commissioner

 Funder

 Service provider

 Policymaker

 Other: _________________________________



At the end of each of the eight sections below, there is an option to tick if you are not in a

position to comment on that particular aspect of the sector.



1. Needs led and strategic



Overall in your view, to what extent are the needs of this particular client group or issue

currently being met by organisations in the sector, where 10 is fully and one is not at all?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Please give your reasons for this score:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which Strongly agree Not sure disagree

you agree with the following statements agree

I am confident that new, emerging or unmet needs

are quickly identified

Resources are usually quickly found or reallocated to

meet new or changing needs

I am concerned that some people or needs are falling

through the gaps between services

The majority of services are needs led and strategic



Efforts are underway to improve the extent to which

the sector is needs led and strategic



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In your view has the work of [name of IO] had an impact in ensuring that the sector is needs

led and strategic?



 Yes, a lot of impact  No, little or none

 Yes, a bit  Don’t know



Please give reasons for your response, including facts and figures where appropriate:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What more to you think is needed to ensure that the sector is strategic and needs led?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



 I don't know enough about this aspect of the sector to comment meaningfully



2. Fit for funding and sustainably funded



In your view, how robust and sustainable do you consider funding of the sector to be,

where 10 is robust and 1 is very vulnerable:



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Which of the following best applies to this sector at the moment?



 Funding within the sector is vulnerable, short term and/or concentrated on a few

sources that are not robust long-term. Specific cuts or threats may be having a big

impact but little action to avert funding crises

 Funding is vulnerable but key people in the sector are aware of the need to diversify

funding or make the sector more fit for funding

 There are pockets within the sector where people are actively trying to diversify

funding or improve the sector’s reputation with key funders

 The funding situation is adequate and may be improving but more needs to done to

ensure future sustainability

 Funding within the sector is robust and diverse, including earned income where

appropriate



What in your view has been the benefit or impact of the work of [name of IO] the in insuring

that the sector is fit for funding and sustainably funded? Include facts and figures where

appropriate

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________







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What more is needed to ensure that the sector is fit for funding and sustainably funded?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



 I don't know enough about this aspect of the sector to comment meaningfully



3. Supports effective service delivery



To what extent are the following in place within the sector? This means that they exist and

are accessible to organisations.



Fully Partially Not at all

Qualifications for workers delivering the service

Quality standards

Good practice guidance

Training

Robust evidence of what works



In your view are efforts being made to improve the extent to which the sector supports and

enables organisations to follow good practice and deliver an effective service?



 No - few or no initiatives or research are underway

 No, but there is recognition of the need for improvements and some initiatives

 Yes but not enough

 yes the sector is actively engaged in improving the support available



What in your view has been the benefit or impact of the work of [name of IO] in supporting

the sector to be able to deliver effective services? Include facts and figures where

appropriate

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What more to you think is needed to support effective service delivery?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



 I don't know enough about this aspect of the sector to comment meaningfully



4. Learning and innovation



Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which you Strongly agree Not disagree

agree with the following statements agree sure

The sector is good at demonstrating its impact and

has robust evidence of success to feed into learning



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The sector is innovative, with a culture of trying new

things and funding to support innovation

This sector is stuck in historic ways of working, with

a resistance to change

A lot is being done within this sector to encourage and

enable more learning and innovation





Please list below any examples of learning innovation within the sector in which you are

aware:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What in your view has been the benefit or impact of the work of [name of IO] in supporting

the sector to be able to deliver effective services? Include facts and figures where

appropriate

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What more to you think is needed to support effective service delivery?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



 I don't know enough about this aspect of the sector to comment meaningfully



5. Supports strong leadership



To what extent are the following in place within the sector? This means that they exist and

are accessible to organisations.



Fully Partially Not at all

Guidance for good governance

Quality standards

Training for capacity building

Support for strong leadership

Other resources strong leadership and governance



In your view are efforts being made and new resources developed to improve the extent to

which the sector supports and enables strong leadership within organisations?



 No - few or no initiatives or resources are being developed

 No, but there is recognition of the need for improvements and some initiatives

 Yes but not enough

 yes the sector is actively engaged in improving the resources available





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What in your view has been the benefit or impact of the work of [name of IO] in enabling

organisations to be well led and to develop? Include facts and figures where appropriate

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What more to you think is needed to support effective organisational development?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



6. Supports good management

Which of the following best describes the current state of the sector in relation to support

for management of the workforce?



 There are no systems such as training or accreditation for workers or support for

managers and no apparent recognition that this is a problem or need

 There are no systems such as training, accreditation or management support but

people within the sector recognise this is a need and some are trying to do

something about it

 There are initiatives to develop or introduce training, accreditation or other

necessary systems and some pockets of this happening

 Organisations within the sector have access to appropriate training, accreditation

and other resources to support the quality and effectiveness of their workforce

 The sector is an example of excellence in relation to supporting good management

and an effective workforce



What in your view has been the impact of [name of IO] in enabling organisations to be well

managed with an effective workforce? Include facts and figures where appropriate

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What more to you think is needed to support effective management and workforce?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



 I don't know enough about this aspect of the sector to comment meaningfully



7. Uses resources efficiently



Please tick one box to indicate the extent to which you Strongly agree Not disagree

agree with the following statements agree sure

There is a good level of collaboration within this sector

resulting in efficient use of resources

Organisations are open to considering merger where

there is unhelpful duplication or this is the best way

forward to meet needs





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There are sufficient resources and support available for

organisations considering greater collaboration

Appropriate resources and support are available for

organisations considering merger

Other sectors are looking to this sector for good

practice around collaboration or merger

Please list below any examples of effective collaboration within the sector in which you are

aware:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What in your view has been the benefit or impact of the work of [name of IO] in supporting

collaboration and efficient use of resources within this sector? Include facts and figures

where appropriate

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What more to you think is needed to support collaboration and efficiency?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



 I don't know enough about this aspect of the sector to comment meaningfully



8. Positively influences the environment



On a scale of 1-10, to what extent would you say this sector has the motivation and skills to

positively influence the external environment in which it operates?



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Are there sufficient organisations and/or networks which are active and effective to give the

sector a strong voice? This level will vary between sectors.



 Yes there is a sufficient level of activism

 No, there are some organisations and networks involved but not enough

 No, few organisations are active and there are no effective networks



Has the sector developed clear shared messages about the changes it would like to see in

the environment in which it operates?



 Yes there are clear agreed messages from the sector to policymakers

 Yes there are a number of key messages that can be clearly conveyed

 Yes to some extent, with more clarity in some areas than others





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 No there it is a lack of clarity about the changes the sector would like to see in its

environment



To what extent is the sector well connected and listened to by policy makers?



 Views are regularly sought by policy makers

 There are some positive relationships and policymakers listen sometimes

 The sector is not well connected or policy makers do not listen sufficiently



Please add any examples of successful influencing in which the sector has been active.

Include facts and figures where appropriate

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________



What in your view has been the benefit or impact of the work of [name of IO] in influencing

policy and practice that affects this sector? Include facts and figures where appropriate

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



What more to you think is needed to influence effectively?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



 I don't know enough about this aspect of the sector to comment meaningfully





9. The external context



On a scale of 1 to 10, please give your views of how supportive different aspects of the

external environment are of this sector. In each case there is the option to circle NA for "not

applicable" if you feel there is no role or need for their support.



The general public

How strong is public support for the sector – this could include how ready people are to

volunteer in service delivery or trusteeship, donate money and general attitude to this client

group or issue.



NA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Please describe your reasons for this choice of score, including any facts or figures or

specific examples:

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________





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Local government

How supportive is local government of this sector – as demonstrated through funding, and

positive consultation and commissioning practices



NA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Please describe your reasons for this choice of score, including any facts or figures or

specific examples:

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Central government

How supportive is central government – this includes their commitment to funding the sector

and the extent to which government thinking is in line with the views and approach of the

sector?



NA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Please describe your reasons for this choice of score, including any facts or figures or

specific examples:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Businesses

Does business support the sector? This could be demonstrated through secondments, links,

sponsorship and other means:



NA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Please describe your reasons for this choice of score, including any facts or figures or

specific examples:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



Grant-making trusts

Are trusts positively disposed to this sector or is it difficult to secure grants for this area of

work?



NA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10



Please describe your reasons for this choice of score, including any facts or figures or

specific examples:

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



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10. Additional information



This section will list key facts and figures about the sector which that may be valuable in

gathering evidence of outcomes and impact. For example:

 Number of people affected by the issue this sector works on (e.g. number of people

in Birmingham or number of young people who are NEET or number of people with

visual impairment)

 Key policy and demographic changes that have impacted on sector’s target group

 Number of organisations working in this field, and total turnover

 List of all IOs working in this sector and their relative roles

 Government funding available for this sector

 How these figures have changed over last 2,5, 10 or 20 years – and how they

compare to other sectors



Please write in below key facts and figures about the sector that you consider relevant to

indicate the state of your sector. These may then be included in the final version of this

survey.

_______________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________







11. Closing comments:



Please add any final comments either on the state of the sector or the impact of [name of

IO] that you have not been able to cover in response to the questions:



________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



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EVI report template



Section 1: introduction to the sector

 Summarise here any key facts or figures to set the scene and introduce this sector



Section 2: Evidence of impact and value of infrastructure

In each of the eight sections below include the following evidence where it is available:

 The sum of starting points and change evidenced on the relevant scale of the

organisation dial

 Results of the relevant question in me organisation survey

 Findings from any relevant monitoring questions used at training or events

 Position and any change on this aspect within the Sector Dial

 Summary of responses to questions in this section of the sector survey

 Case studies or examples



1. Needs led and strategic





2. Fit for funding and sustainably funded





3. Delivering effective services





4. Learning and improving





5. Well led





6. Well managed





7. Using resources efficiently





8. Positively influencing the environment







Section 3: Overall conclusions and learning:

Summarise the key learning for you as an organisation and how you will build on this

learning to improve effectiveness. Where relevant, point to emerging evidence of need as a

basis for demonstrating the need for continued or additional resources for infrastructure.



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