Category: Current Projects

Current project – Great Exhibition Road Festival 2020 Evaluation

Posted on by Liz Lister

Client: Imperial College London

Start date: February 2020

Expected end date: September 2020

Background:

Following a successful pilot year, the Great Exhibition Road Festival (GERF) is now an annual event celebrating the arts and sciences happening in the South Kensington cultural quarter. The festival aims to deliver a dynamic range of participatory visitor experiences that generate curiosity and a pioneering spirit among the audiences and partner institutions through a unique collaboration of the arts and sciences institutions taking part.

The festival also aims to celebrate diversity and engage with communities and audiences with whom the partner institutions do not often engage. The 2020 festival has a theme of ‘trailblazers’, which will unite a selection of content across the festival.

Our Approach

Our evaluation seeks to understand the value of a collaborative endeavour, combining disciplines and partner institutions. It explores the festival’s audience and any impacts upon them, as well as the views of volunteers and participants.

We are employing a mixed methods approach to explore different elements of the festival and its development from the pilot year. We are using a range of evaluative tools, including both traditional and development of new creative approaches.

Expected outputs

A final report including recommendations for the development of GERF, discussed in a round up meeting with the festival team, as well as development of a range of evaluative tools.

Current project – Inspiring Science Fund Evaluation

Posted on by Liz Lister

CLIENTS: Wellcome and UK Research & Innovation

Start Date: June 2017

Expected end date: 2024

Background

The Inspiring Science Fund is a £30M competitive grant scheme for science centres co-funded by Wellcome and UKRI. The programme objectives are to:

  • Create more opportunities for young people and the public to learn and engage with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in ways which are innovative, and which reach and meet their needs
  • Sustain and extend the audience base, with an increased focus on underrepresented and underserved audiences, and increase the overall number visiting or taking part in STEM activities
  • Have the potential to improve funded organisations’ financial stability and resilience

Graphic Science are the external evaluators for this funding programme.

Our Approach

We are employing a mixed methods approach to understand the short and longer-term impacts of the funding programme across all funded projects as well as identifying learning that can be used by the sector as a whole.

This is a complex, multi-faceted evaluation with a large qualitative component as well as quantitative elements. Qualitative elements include narrative reporting and interviews with funded centres as well as analysis of strategic, policy, and communications documents. Quantitative elements include cohort-wide visitor exit and staff surveys, developed in consultation with funded organisations. These surveys are the result of extensive research looking at survey instruments from a wide range of sources including the Office for National Statistics, COVES, Public Attitudes to Science, Stonewall, the Natural History Museum, and incorporating indicators for science capital.

Advisory Board

For this project we have convened an evaluation advisory group to advise on our methods and plans for the evaluation of the impact of the Inspiring Science Fund. By contributing broad knowledge of the current evidence landscape and providing constructive challenge to evidence and findings, the group gives independent support and oversight that will contribute in due course to sector development aspirations.

The evaluation advisory group members are:

Colin Johnson (Chair)

Dele Adeyemo

Lenna Cumberbatch

Emily Dawson

Jen DeWitt

Marie Hobson

Jane Steele

Ben Ward

Expected outputs

Outputs include a Theory of Change for the programme, evaluation framework, written reports, conference sessions and presentations, surveys, and creation of a self-assessment tool for financial resilience.

Current project – Curiosity Evaluation

Posted on by Liz Lister

Clients: BBC Children in Need and Wellcome

Start date: July 2019

Expected end date: October 2022

Background

The Curiosity funding scheme is a joint programme developed by Wellcome and BBC Children in Need. It aims to enhance the opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people to engage with and enjoy informal science activities to improve their personal and social development. The programme funds projects at the intersection of the youth work and informal science learning sectors.

The main emphasis of the programme and its evaluation is identifying whether there is a ‘distinctiveness of science’ that contributes or not to improving children’s lives, and how this is influenced by informal science activities being enacted in a youth work setting.

Our Approach

Working in partnership with research company Substance we are evaluating the Curiosity funding programme, employing a mixed methods approach to understand differences that informal science activities can make to the lives of children and young people, and what aspects of project delivery enable these changes.

We are particularly interested in whether delivering informal science activities in a youth work setting can contribute to particular impacts on the lives of disadvantaged children and young people, and whether there is a distinctive contribution from informal science in achieving youth development outcomes.

We are working closely with the funded projects and their participants to ensure the presence of the youth voice, as well as those at the front line of youth work and informal science learning.

Expected outputs

Outputs include a Theory of Change model, impact framework, creation of evaluation tools, literature review, formal reporting, and case studies.

Current project – Inspiring Science for All

Posted on by Liz Lister

Client: Winchester Science Centre

Start date: September 2019

Expected end date: February 2022

Background:

Winchester Science Centre (WSC) is embarking upon a cultural and physical transformation, rethinking traditional exhibition design and how science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activities are delivered. The aims of the Inspiring Science for All programme are to:

  • Transform the visitor experience through a rethink about how the exhibition will support all audiences to be curious and discover STEM
  • Widen participation in STEM through understanding and overcoming barriers to participation and creating exciting opportunities to get involved
  • Become more financially sustainable through minimising financial risk, creating new income streams and generating a reliable surplus for re-investment
  • Change the culture within the organisation and sector through championing science for all, challenging stereotypes and being a benchmark organisation for inclusivity

Our Approach

We are using a collaborative, responsive approach that adapts to learning that emerges as the project develops. We are working closely will the WSC team, including support around data collection and interpretation, to ensure the team has ownership of an evaluation process they can adopt beyond our involvement.

We are supporting the team to review their strategic priorities and have co-developed a Theory of Change model for the programme. We are developing evaluative tools that are inclusive and accessible for all visitors and participants, in partnership with Sarah Bearchell, a specialist in STEM engagement with SEND audiences.

Expected outputs

Outputs will include a Theory of Change model, creation of evaluative tools, and written reports.

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