M&E Consultant
Summary
We’ve been awarded funding by The Prudence Trust to carry out an evaluation of our work and to review our systems and tools for monitoring and evaluation. This work is in two parts:
1) IMPACT EVALUATION: A comprehensive analysis and evaluation of our work, with findings published in an Impact Report.
2) MONITORING & EVALUATION TOOLS & SYSTEMS REVIEW: A review of systems and tools used for monitoring and evaluation leading to a new Monitoring & Evaluation Framework
The benefits to our organisation will be better strategic decision making resulting from improved understanding about where our work is most effective, which activities have most impact and where we need to make improvements.
Overview
Gendered Intelligence is the leading trans-led and trans-involving organisation in the UK. We work towards driving long-term, transformative change so that trans people can live safe and healthy lives. We include people with lived experience at every level, from the Board, to our team of 40 staff, to our 41 volunteers who last year gave over 850 hours to support the trans community.
It’s much more challenging to be trans in the UK today, than it was a decade ago. A hostile government introduced legislation which negatively impacts our lives, especially in terms of access to healthcare. Hostile words lead to hostile actions. Transphobic hate crime in the UK has quadrupled between 2015 and 2020, fuelled by an increasing number of anti-trans news articles. The growth of divisive, demonising rhetoric about trans people is having a tangible impact on people's lives, safety and well-being…especially young people.
Our frontline work is organised into 3 departments who are all working to increase understanding of gender diversity. These are 1) Youth and Community Services 2) Public Engagement 3) Professional and Educational Services.
This proposal will focus on our work with young people and their families which is delivered by the Youth and Communities team. We want to know what works when it comes to improving young people’s mental health. We need to understand this so we can deliver effective services. With limited funding, & increasing need, it’s vital that we know which activities have most impact, which make most difference & are the best value for money. This knowledge and understanding will inform our strategic decision making, leading to services better able to improve the mental health of young people.
PART 1 – IMPACT EVALUATION
Question I. Which activities have the most impact? Why is that? How can we do better?
Question II. Are young people feeling more resilient, less isolated and an increase in confidence as a result of our work?
We believe that there is valuable learning to be gained from reviewing our existing monitoring data, alongside a new piece of qualitative research, based on focus groups & interviews, and that this can inform future planning. We have been supporting young trans people over 15 years. We have a valuable opportunity to evaluate the impact of our services over that period. We have many service users who have been accessing support over several years & we want to ask them to reflect back on their journey so that we can learn from their experiences.
We want you to undertake a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of our work, with findings published in an impact report which will be used to make informed and strategic decisions. It will be shared externally so that we can show the impact that we make and can inform the work of other organisations, especially those working with young people in the LGBTQI sector.
PART 2 - MONITORING & EVALUATION TOOLS & SYSTEMS REVIEW
Question III. Are we using the most effective tools & systems for monitoring and evaluating our work? Can we adopt tools or systems which are more appropriate or effective?
We want to improve our monitoring and evaluation so that our work is robustly evidence-led, streamlined and effective. We need to analyse the impact of different activities, and to understand the impact on beneficiaries with different characteristics including young people of colour, people who are trans femme, different age groups, neurodiverse young people etc.
We’re aware that our established system captures a moment in time – how a young person is feeling in the moment, this afternoon - but how informative is that really? Service users tell us that when they look back over several years of using our services, they’re able to reflect and say ‘that moment was a turning point for me’ or ‘that was a difficult time, but things improved after this happened…’
We want you to undertake a review of the systems and tools which we use for monitoring and evaluation leading to a new Monitoring & Evaluation Framework.
The work must be conducted thoughtfully through questionnaires, interviews, focus groups and conversations with young people, volunteers and staff. It will entail analysis of our existing data, captured on Lamplight. Recommendations will avoid ‘data-burden’ for both young people and our team; with systems which are not intrusive or retraumatising; and which are embedded into existing work.
This work will form the basis of a new Monitoring & Evaluation Framework, informed by the joint knowledge and understanding of our lived experience team and the consultant who will be able to draw upon their own knowledge of systems used for monitoring and evaluation in other organisations. We are aware that ‘we don’t know what we don’t know’ and this valuable opportunity will enable us to take the time needed to consider our options in terms of developing new tools and data gathering systems. The expertise of the consultant will guide us through this process.
Who will be involved?
This work will be led by an external consultant working closely with all stakeholders including our lived experienced team, SLT and Board, current and past young service users - including our Youth Board. The external consultant will keep the project on track and bring expertise, focus and fresh eyes.
Involving our team and our young people in this project
We aim to develop a system that is shaped, endorsed and welcomed by the people who will supply and gather the information required for monitoring and evaluation. It’s our intention, that by enabling our team to participate in shaping this work, we will create a culture where monitoring and evaluation is valued & understood.
We want systems which are viewed positively and are seen as useful and beneficial by young people and by our lived experience team of youth workers and volunteers (many who are ex-beneficiaries.) They need to feel a sense of ownership and ‘buy-in’ to the project, understanding the value to themselves and others. New systems will be embedded, not seen as unwelcome ‘add-ons’ or ‘just more paperwork’ (the dreaded dull feedback form handed out at the end of a session.) Our team will see, on a practical level, how information is used to improve outcomes for young people.
We will commit to only collect information that we need and can use to deliver improved services. We want to develop a system that is not extractive, once again mining our over-researched beneficiaries. We will create opportunities for learning.
Where appropriate (e.g. with the Youth Board) we will remunerate young people for their time. We will also remunerate our youth work team, who are paid an hourly rate, for their time participating in this project – attending focus groups, meetings and training and facilitating conversations with young people and the consultant.
Our learnings from this process will be …
● Used to inform strategic decision making at Board and SLT level
● Shared widely, internally and externally through the Impact Report
● Embedded in increased knowledge & understanding about monitoring and evaluation in our team, especially the SLT
● Written up in our new Monitoring & Evaluation Framework
Proposed Timeline
Sept-Oct 2024 Recruit a consultant with relevant expertise.
Part 1: IMPACT EVALUATION
Oct - Dec 2024 Interviews with key team members
Nov – Jan 2024 Focus groups, interviews and consultation with current young people and Youth Board
Jan – Feb 2025 Interviews and focus groups with long standing service users
March-April 2025 Interviews and focus groups with and parents
April – May 2025 Analysis of data and information.
June 2025 Write Impact Report.
July 2025 Publication of Impact Report
Part 2: MONITORING & EVALUATION REVIEW
Oct - Dec 2024 Review of Monitoring and Evaluation systems and processes
Nov – Jan 2024 Interviews with staff and Senior Leadership Team
Jan – Feb 2025 Development of Monitoring & Evaluation Framework to be published in March 25
March-April 2025 Publication of Monitoring & Evaluation Framework Team training sessions on Monitoring & Evaluation.
April – May 2025 Implementation of new systems and tools for monitoring and evaluation
July 2025 Team training sessions on Monitoring & Evaluation.
August 2025 First Annual Review of Monitoring and Evaluation (to be conducted annually)
Next Steps
If you are interested in undertaking this work please submit:
A summary of relevant experience: this could be via a CV (if applying as an individual) or an Organisational overview.
A brief statement (one page A4 max): outlining your approach to the project, highlighting any challenges you anticipate; concerns with the above timeline; other notable considerations.
Budget: breaking down costs by the different sections (we expect to make payment based on deliverables, but would like to see the relevant day rates for different elements of the work where appropriate). We have around £20k (incl VAT) to spend on this element of the total project.
Please send the above to recruitment@genderedintelligence.co.uk by 9am on Monday 7th October 2024. Submissions will be assessed and shortlisted applicants contacted by Friday 11th October. Meetings will be held week beginning Monday 14th October, with a decision planned for Friday 18th and work to begin during October.
If you have any queries in advance of the closing date please contact recruitment@genderedintelligence.co.uk.