Young People in Focus

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COMPLETED

Developing 'evaluation champions':
Research and evaluation training for professionals
working with young people and families

During 2007-2009 the Trust for the Study of Adolescence (now Young People in Focus) was funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), to develop research and evaluation skills amongst practitioners working with young people and families.

The evaluation of initiatives and services has become increasingly important, in order to use resources to best effect and to improve work with young people and families.

The project is focussing on research and evaluation skills within the context of Every Child Matters outcomes.

The project had two parts – the development of materials on research and evaluation, and the training of professionals in research and evaluation skills.

The training is now completed. It involved the recruitment of over 200 professionals from across England. These professionals have attended a free three-day training course, in order to become ‘research and evaluation champions’ in their organisations. The training focussed on clarifying research questions, exploring different research methods, methods for analysing and ‘making sense’ of information collected, and how to deal with difficult and ethical issues in research and evaluation.

Note that due to the success of the training, and the high level of demand for places, we are now offering training days as part of YPF’s ‘open courses’ programme. See our website for details.

The materials will take the form of a new ‘Toolkit’, containing user-friendly and practical ideas and resources to support practitioners in undertaking research and evaluation. The Toolkit will soon be available from YPF’s publications department.

The training and toolkit development was undertaken by Dr Debi Roker and Julie Shepherd, and Dona Crisfield provided administrative support to the project.

More information:
For further information on this project please contact Debi Roker on 01273 647342 or droker@youngpeopleinfocus.org.uk

 

July 2009