Using the LEAP Framework A Case Study

Transcription

1 Using the LEAP Framework A Case Study Volunteer Development Scotland Introduction Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) is one of the main organisations responsible for developing the capacity and infrastructure of the voluntary sector n Scotland. They work strategically, and in partnership, to help create an enabling environment for volunteering. They do this by undertaking research, analysing and responding to policy, engaging in consultation, influencing key decision makers, disseminating good practice in volunteer management, and stimulating dialogue around volunteer development in Scotland. They are funded by the Scottish Executive and work as an umbrella organisation to all 32 Volunteer Centres (VC) in Scotland and support the network. Planning and Evaluation - Identified need In 2003 the Scottish Executive launched the new Volunteering Strategy which highlighted the need to understand and evidence the impact of volunteering and of Volunteer Centres at national and local level. The strategy identified 4 main outcome categories and there was an expectation that Volunteer Centres would evidence results against these and highlight volunteering as central to achieving broad social policy aims. A three year funding agreement for all 32 centres had been negotiated with the Scottish Executive and this was to be managed by VDS. At this time all Volunteer Centres were planning and evaluating their work in different ways. VDS and the network recognised the need to bring some coherence to the planning and evaluation process but also the fact that in relation to planning and evaluation requirements it would be difficult to introduce an approach that suited the needs of all the individual Volunteer Centres. The identified need was to develop a framework that met the varied needs of the Volunteer Centres, and local volunteers, and importantly, that would

2 protect and develop the volunteer-centred way of working while, at the same time, allow them to develop a national picture of volunteering with an emphasis on learning about impact and support and funding needs. Staff working in VC s were aware of LEAP through their experience of contributing to the Life long learning and Community Learning Agenda. In addition, some VC staff have a background of working in community education. Some VC s deliver training on LEAP for Volunteering The LEAP framework was identified as a credible tool that offered a way to combine need-led planning at local level and the incorporation of overarching national priorities; to focus on and evidence outcomes; to learn about volunteering issues and practice, to support the value-base that Volunteer Centres subscribe to and to foster a shared approach to planning and evaluation. Planned outcomes Volunteer Development Scotland A shared commitment to a consistent approach to planning and evaluation across Volunteer Centres Improved capacity to identify and articulate the impact of volunteering at national level Improved capacity to aggregate from local plans to understand national picture Improved capacity to identify impact in relation to Scottish Executive priorities as outlined in the Volunteering Strategy Improved capacity to use information/learning from Volunteer Centres to influence policy Improved quality of reporting to the Voluntary Issues Unit Volunteer Centres Improved capacity to learn from the experience of other areas Improved capacity to tie-in local need with executive priorities Improved capacity to evidence impacts on local need Improved capacity to generate and use evidence to influence local planning Improved planning in volunteer management by volunteer involving organisations

3 How did they go about it? Output timeline 2003 Steering group of Volunteer Centre Managers established to oversee development of planning and evaluation framework - LEAP for Volunteering. Awareness-raising session at annual Volunteer Centre Conference SCDC commissioned to write LEAP framework for volunteering 4 managers received LEAP training in order to become comfortable with LEAP framework and able to cascade to other managers Awareness raising sessions for all Volunteer Centres Updates regarding development of framework to all Volunteer Centres 2004 A template document was developed that would be rolled out to Volunteer Centres. This was piloted in North Lanarkshire who brought the learning from the experience to the steering group for further customising. Session at annual Volunteer Centre Conference All Volunteer Centre Managers trained by members of the steering group Supplementary seminars on research and local stats Managers issued with baseline information from the Research Unit at VDS Local LEAP plans produced by all 32 centres LEAP plans submitted to Volunteer Development Scotland where a review and peer feedback process was set up 2006 Completed LEAP evaluation reports submitted Inputs/Resources The Scottish Executive initially financed the development of the process by way of engaging SCDC. Thereafter, there was no network budget as such so no central pot of money. The development of the LEAP framework was jointly financed by individual Volunteer Centres and LEAP training was devised and delivered by Volunteer Centre Managers. The most significant input was the commitment and enthusiasm of the Volunteer Centre Manager s network and the volunteer centre staff. It is important to mention that the National Volunteering Strategy and the support of the Voluntary Issues Unit (VIU) at the Scottish Executive were necessary inputs.

4 Following permission from the relevant VC s, some good examples of the completed LEAP workplans were posted on the VC intranet for other VC s to look at. Success Factors Process The process by which the LEAP framework was developed and introduced is the most important part of this case study. The general approach used is an excellent example of good practice and of the LEAP approach in practice! The critical success factor with LEAP is people s willingness to participate in the process. It is essential to successful planning and evaluation that people own the process and that it is seen as an integral part of practice rather than an imposed regime. LEAP is based on the premise that good practice involves being prepared to articulate what we hope to achieve when we re working in and with communities and evidencing whether we achieve this in order to learn and improve practice. Evidencing outcomes should be seen as a chance to show what we are achieving or what we are learning and both are equally important. It is important that practitioners/participants do not see planning and evaluation as something that needs to be done to meet funding requirements but as something they choose to do to learn and improve and to celebrate and build on success Volunteer Development Scotland and the Volunteer Centre Network seem to have understood this from the start. They put a lot of time in to understanding exactly what needs there were around planning and evaluation, both locally and nationally, and what any framework should enable them to do (see outcomes above) It is evident from the time-line above that VDS and the network involved people in all aspects of the development of the framework before implementation. The LEAP approach advocates stakeholder involvement in all aspects of planning, delivery and evaluation of change. Volunteer Development Scotland and the network investigated and articulated a shared need and a shared vision and involved people in subsequent action.

5 Important success factors: There was ownership of the framework from the outset and shared interest both financially and developmentally. Learning The implementation of LEAP was understood and communicated as a learning process there was an emphasis on learning together. It was piloted first to learn about pitfalls; share experience; inform the roll-out. Using the framework wasn t about compliance it was about learning. It was introduced as a tool that could meet shared and individual needs and facilitate learning about the impact of volunteering both locally and nationally. The guidance that was developed emphasised the need to use evaluation as a learning tool. There was permission and encouragement to make changes to plans according to what was being learned throughout the year. Feedback was given to every VC on an individual basis and this was extremely well received. Comments were also invited from the VC s about their views on the overall process and any suggestions for improvements were taken on board and embedded into the process. This philosophy of continuous improvement continues. Training was fun this is very important. The training that was developed was based on the experience of the pilot. It was recognised that there were some reservations and concerns about introducing a new framework. Training was designed to address this in a very interactive way that made it an enjoyable and useful experience Training was tailored to meet the specific needs of Volunteer Centres in relation to using the LEAP framework. For example training was provided around understanding and using local demographic statistics; identifying need and gathering evidence Resources Follow-up support - this is crucial. It is possible to understand and engage with the concept of outcome-focused planning and evaluation but it can still be difficult to take it back to your own context and formulate plans; negotiate with partners/stakeholders etc. Volunteer Centres have received a significant amount of individual follow-up support as and when it has been required

6 Volunteer Development Scotland provided a set of relevant local statistics to each Volunteer Centre to support them to plan and to produce baseline information Online resources Volunteer Centres have access to the details of the pilot study and to a selection of the plans produced in other areas Were the outcomes achieved? Volunteer Development Scotland A shared commitment to a consistent approach to planning and evaluation across Volunteer Centres The commitment to a shared approach is evident in relation to both the quality of the plans produced (plans will be available) and the expressed enthusiasm of Volunteer Centre Managers and staff. The LEAP work plan process for has enabled us to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the volunteering picture across Glasgow and prioritise the key issues that we must continue to address with the assistance of key partners. The challenge for is to ensure that we better integrate the increasing number of output targets and performance measures for our other funding streams and for relevant outcomes in addition to those of the Volunteering Strategy to monitor our progress more efficiently during the year. David Maxwell, Manager, VC Glasgow. This is the second year we have been involved in the LEAP plan process and following some initial apprehension, we have enjoyed and continue to value the experience. There are a number of benefits if used as a living document. We use it to keep track of our progress; it is a set item on our monthly agenda. It is a useful tool to induct new members of staff into the team; they can see where we are, where we plan to be and how they fit in to the process. It is a great team building exercise, as it helps to develop ownership in our work. Pat Doran, Manager, VC Aberdeen. There was some concern that teams might replicate the pilot plan but this did not happen. Managers and staff teams really engaged with the process. The extent to which the next intended outcomes will be/have been achieved is yet to be established as the first round of LEAP evaluation reports are currently being considered. However there is encouraging progress.

7 Improved capacity to identify and articulate the impact of volunteering at national level The VDS staff team is currently working closely with the Volunteer Centres supporting the evaluation process. By all accounts it is looking good! The evidence and learning generated from the pilot is certainly indicative that the quality of information needed will be produced. Improved capacity to aggregate from local plans to understand national picture The planning process has in itself allowed a far more comprehensive picture of local services and issues and opportunity to describe the national themes and issues. Improved capacity to identify impact in relation to Scottish Executive priorities Again the planning process made explicit the contribution of local centres to national priorities and the action that would take place in order to do so. Improved capacity to use information/learning from Volunteer Centres to influence policy Because each LEAP workplan is grounded in researching the local area, VC s are able to use their generic funding to target resources where they are most needed in the particular environment in which they operate. This also allows for the reporting framework, which is based around nationally accepted headings drawn from the strands of the volunteering strategy, to reflect national activity as the sum of diverse local activity. It is anticipated that, in the future, this depth of knowledge and understanding will assist VC s in influencing policy at both a local and national level. Improved quality of reporting to Voluntary Issues Unit Feedback from the Voluntary Issues unit is extremely positive. From the point of view of the unit reporting is now much more straightforward and the tie-in between the activity of individual centres and national strategy priorities is much more explicit. Volunteer Centres Improved capacity to learn from the experience of other areas The individual local plans are shared - but most importantly there has been a great amount of shared learning as a result of the collective approach to developing and learning about the framework and how to use it. This will undoubtedly be added to when the evaluation reports and the process of developing them is shared. Improved capacity to tie-in local need with executive priorities Feedback from the Volunteer Centres suggests that they are much clearer about the fit between local need and national strategy priorities and much more confident that they can evidence impact on national priorities.

8 Improved capacity to evidence impacts on local need Feedback from the Volunteer Centres suggests that there is an improved capacity to evidence the impact that their work has in relation to local need. Improved capacity to generate and use evidence to influence local planning The feedback to date from the Volunteer Centres and Volunteer Development Scotland is that having an outcome focus has allowed the role of the Volunteer Centres to be more easily understood in relation to shared local partnership outcomes and has allowed each centre a greater voice within local partnerships. Unintended outcomes Volunteer Development Scotland feels that the process of articulating; measuring and reporting on outcomes has facilitated the beginnings of a move away from the number-crunching culture that often characterises the relationship between funders and funded organisations. Evidencing achievement and learning against outcomes that describe quality of life improvements and attitudinal changes necessarily involves the use of more qualitative evidence backed up by quantitative facts and figures. The need to have a holistic picture of change lends weight to the powerful role of qualitative evidence. What next? Volunteer Development Scotland and the Volunteer Centres would like to further develop the use of the framework as a tool to support partnership working at local level They have also prioritised the need to embed the National Standards for Community Engagement in volunteering practice and recognise that the LEAP framework offers the means to do this. They plan to hold some events in the future to explore how this will be taken forward collectively. VC Angus held a joint seminar/conference with SCDC on using the Community Engagement Standards in volunteering and the voluntary sector. This was part of the Community planning priorities for Angus. They have also identified the need to consider how to include the How Good is our Community Learning & Development framework in to the LEAP process in a way that is pertinent to Volunteer Centres and volunteering.