PROJECT BRIEF FOR CONSULTANTS
FIT AS A FIDDLE EVALUATION IN THE WEST MIDLANDS
Overview
We wish to engage an evaluation consultant(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of fit as a fiddle in the West Midlands.
The consultant will bring together the existing evaluations of the eleven fit as a fiddle projects and identify any gaps, and support individual projects to gather further evidence to complete these in order to ensure that Age UK’s within the West Midlands are in a strong position to seek further funding and support for their activities
1 Introduction
Who We Are
Age Concern Regional Support Services (West Midlands) received funding from Age Concern England (now named Age UK) who were funded by the Big Lottery Fund to deliver a portfolio of activities to older people to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles and wellbeing. The Regional Portfolio Evaluation Steering Group for fit as a fiddle in the West Midlands has been set up to take responsibility for the evaluation of the projects.
Where We Are
Fit as a fiddle is a five year project funded by the Big Lottery which comes to an end in September 2012. Nine regions and two national projects across England were funded to deliver a variety of activities to older people. Here in the West Midlands we have 10 delivery organisations delivering two different programmes, Greenagers and Prescription for Health, resulting in 11 different projects
Greenagers focussed on gardening and growing produce to improve older people’s physical fitness and encourage healthier eating through gardening. Activities implemented over the course of the five years consists of:
Allotments – local authority allotments or other sites, including agricultural land, public areas, privately owned sites (for eg disused walled kitchen gardens). Delivered by three Age UKs; Dudley, Malvern and Warwickshire.
Gardening Circles – where older people work together to support the development of communal gardens, gardens in sheltered accommodation, allotment sites and individual gardens. Delivered by three Age UKs; Hereford & Localities, Herefordshire & Worcestershire and North Staffordshire.
Prescription for Health targeted and encouraged people over 50 to be involved in physical activities and healthy eating sessions, which is being delivered by five local Age UKs across the West Midlands region (Coventry, Kingstanding, Perry Barr & Weoley Castle, Solihull, Stafford & District and Warwickshire).
The ten delivery organisations are co-ordinated by the Regional Portfolio Co-ordinator who reports back to the Regional Portfolio Steering Group and then to Age Concern Regional Support Services, West Midlands. The fit as a fiddle National Team oversees the work of the regional and national projects and reports back to the Big Lottery Fund.
Where We Want to Be
The successful consultant will undertake a bespoke evaluation, which will build on both the findings of the national evaluation of the project by Ecorys and the individual projects evaluations. Ecorys were commissioned by Age UK to evaluate the fit as a fiddle programme nationally.
We will be looking for the consultant(s) to bring together the available information, and, by interviewing the project workers and regional co-ordinator, to determine how the projects have diversified due to user involvement and identified need. It may be that some individual case studies or focus groups may also be carried out. We would also need some evaluation on the Social Return on Investment, and Social Impact, as the evaluations will be used to support future funding bids, and service commissioning bids to ensure continuation and sustainability of the projects.
Project Organisation
Here in the West Midlands our project has ten delivery partners who deliver two different projects, Greenagers and Prescription for Health; one delivery partner delivers both projects.
Age UK Dudley – fit as a fiddle-Greenagers (Allotments)- based in the Dudley area.
Age UK Malvern – fit as a fiddle-Greenagers (Allotments)- based in the Malvern area.
Age UK Warwickshire -fit as a fiddle-Greenagers (Allotments)- based in the Rugby area.
Age UK Hereford & Localities – fit as a fiddle-Greenagers (Gardening Circles)- based in the Leominster area.
Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire- fit as a fiddle-Greenagers (Gardening Circles)- based in the South Wychavon area.
Age UK North Staffordshire Localities – fit as a fiddle-Greenagers (Gardening Circles)- based in the Stoke area.
Age UK Coventry-fit as a fiddle-Prescription for Health-based in the Coventry area
Age UK Kingstanding, Perry Barr & Weoley Castle- fit as a fiddle-Prescription for Health – based in and around the Perry Barr area.
Age UK Solihull- fit as a fiddle-Prescription for Health – based in the Solihull area.
Age UK Stafford & District-fit as a fiddle-Prescription for Health – based in the Stafford area.
Age UK Warwickshire- fit as a fiddle-Prescription for Health – based in the Warwickshire area.
The consultant(s) will be given specific project worker details at the start of the project.
2 Requirements
Key Objectives
Establishing evidence base for:
· Future funding applications for health and wellbeing projects
· Learning what has worked well and why
· Understanding why something didn’t work
· Shared learning
· Impact
· Pulling out specific information for shaping future services
· SROI
· Social impact
Project Outputs
The consultant will:
· Produce a detailed review of the Fit as a fiddle projects in the West Midlands, both at a local and regional level.
· Ensure that the final report develops current thinking and understanding
· Deliver a presentation on the final report to the Regional Portfolio Steering Group.
· Adhere to the charities’ policies on confidentiality, data protection, safeguarding and health & safety.
The final evaluation will be considered and used as deemed appropriate by individual Age UKs the fit as a fiddle Regional Co-ordinator and Age Concern Regional Support Services (West Midlands)
Full and final ownership of the final evaluation will reside with the ten local Age UKs and Age Concern Regional Support Services (West Midlands).
Inputs
In order to deliver the brief successfully, the Consultant will need to communicate extensively with all 10 Age UKs, the Regional Co-ordinator and the Regional Portfolio Evaluation Steering Group for fit as a fiddle.
The fit as a fiddle projects will fully facilitate the work of the Consultant to deliver the project brief and the required outputs, through providing relevant information, knowledge, ideas, materials and other resources as appropriate and necessary.
The consultant will have access to:
· Ecorys Interim Report
· Individual project Interim Reports
· Case studies
· Ecorys data (Older People’s Survey Results on P F H)
· SNAP data (monitoring data)
· CLES data (Older people’s survey results on Greenagers project)
· Evaluation report template developed by Ecorys
· Quarterly monitoring reports produced by each delivery organisation
· Any other records of project work
Timescales
It is envisaged that this evaluation will require approximately 30 days of work over a 3 month period starting at the beginning of May 2012 and ending at the end of July 2012. There will be an opportunity to present a draft/progress report to the Regional Portfolio Group on 10th July. All project outputs will need to be complete, presented to the Regional Steering Group and passed in their entirety by 31st August 2012.
· Advert – week commencing 5th March
· Closing date – 12 noon on Thursday 29th March.
· Short Listing – 2nd April
· Interviews –17thApril
3 Project Value
The fee payable for the delivery of this Evaluation in its entirety will be between £12K and £15K, including all expenses and VAT.
Approval
The Regional Portfolio Evaluation Steering Group will have the authority on behalf of the client to sign off the work produced by the Evaluator, prior to full and final payment.
YOUR PROPOSAL
Please submit an outline detailing:-
· Your proposed method of operation and an outline of your approach for this consultancy work.
· Previous experience of delivering a similar evaluation.
· The names and contact details of 2 people we can contact for references.
· The name of the individual (or individuals) who would be involved in delivering this evaluation, with their experience and relevant qualifications.
· Availability, and any period of non-availability, for the proposed consultancy period.
· The minimum number of days that would be committed to deliver the contract.
· The fee chargeable and a breakdown of anticipated spend.
The successful contractor should demonstrate:
· An understanding and experience of working in or with the Third/Charity Sectors
· An understanding of the health and social care policy agenda relating to older adults
· A track record of evaluating community-based programmes
· Experience and skills to facilitate participative and constructive evaluation
· A flexible, adaptable approach to working with a range of delivery organisations and stakeholders
· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
· Experience of working with a range of stakeholders
· Experience of devising and implementing quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
· Demonstrable experience in providing sound business case arguments for funding purposes
· Relevant IT skills in relation to research and analysis
· Proven ability to work to tight deadlines
· Able to travel around the West Midlands area
· Experience of delivering SROI assessments
This proposal to be sent by email to Sue Abbott, Regional Portfolio Co-ordinator – fit as a fiddle West Midlands: and a hard copy marked Private and Confidential to:
Sue Abbott, Regional Portfolio Co-ordinator – fit as a fiddle West Midlands, Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Malvern Gate, Bromwich Road, Worcester WR2 4BN.
The deadline for receipt of this proposal is 12 noon on Thursday 29th March 2012.
You will be asked to attend an interview to discuss your proposal which will be held on Tuesday 17th April.
If you wish to informally discuss this project, please contact Sue Abbott, Regional Portfolio Co-ordinator on 01905 – 740950, or email
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