Evaluation Support Scotland

@evalsupscot.bsky.social

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Working with third sector organisations and funders so that they can measure and explain their impact. (Reposts are not endorsement). 🌀 https://evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/

Evaluation Mentoring One-to-one support from an experienced evaluation practitioner to help you develop your evaluation skills, confidence and practice.
A graphic which shows text, accompanying an image of a 3 part cycle. The text reads: Thrive. A learning & training programme helping practitioners understand more about how to use physical activity, or sport, to achieve a range of outcomes. The 3 parts of the cycle are: plan, do and review.
A person writing on a white board. The white board has paper notes stuck all over it – the writing isn’t legible from the photo.
A graphic showing 4 quotes, they read: Self-evaluation has helped us move from broad ideas about our impact to clearly defined outcomes, with practical ways to measure them. Through self-evaluation we were able to identify the outcomes that people experienced by recording feedback then using a methodical approach to assess the feedback, as well as learning where we could improve our work. Self-evaluation has helped us move beyond simply measuring outputs and instead better understand the difference our programmes are making for people, organisations and communities. Self-Evaluation Week is a valuable opportunity to recognise that evaluation is not separate from practice – it is fundamental to how we listen, reflect, learn, and continue to improve.
A graphic of a light bulb, alongside text that reads: Join our board of trustees.
Did you know that we host Networks? • Evaluation Leaders’ Network • The Funder Evaluation & Learning Group • Scotland’s Third Sector Research Forum
Resource Sessions (Free) Evaluating Partnership Working – Support Guide Date: 18/06/26 Time: 1:20pm – 2:00pm Hearing from everyone: building equality, diversity & inclusion into self-evaluation – support guide Date: 27/08/26 Time: 11:30am – 12:10pm Embedding evaluation checklist Date: 23/09/26 Time: 10:30am – 11:10am
A preview of a diagram which from left to right shows columns with the headings: The need, resources, participants, activities (what we do), outcomes – short, medium and long term. An arrow points from the column labelled ‘Activities’ to another section labelled ‘Assumptions’.
Self-Evaluation Week. 18th – 22nd of May 2026. Get involved and celebrate the difference you make!
A video featuring 3 members of Evaluation Support Scotland talking about their highlights from the Gathering event. The video is filmed on location at the event - in the background a decorated stand can be seen featuring Evaluation Support Scotland branding.
Free resource sessions. How to explore decision making and the role of evidence. Date: 29th of January 2026. Time: 1:20pm – 2pm. Making Sense: Analysing qualitative information. Date: 26th of February 2026. Time: 11:30pm – 12:10pm. Making Sense: Analysing quantitative information. Date 19th March 2026. Time: 1:20pm – 2pm.
A promotion for SCVO’S The Gathering 2026, which will be held on the 10th & 11th of February at the EICC, Edinburgh. The main text reads: We’re a Gathering event host… Booking now open exclusively to SCVO members. In the footer of the graphic it shows the SCVO website URL: scvo.scot/the-gathering, and the event hashtag: #SCVOGathering.
Current training workshops. Let's Evaluate! - starts 6th November (starts soon). Evaluating Prevention - 9th December (fully booked). Let's Evaluate! - starts 14th January. Evaluating Policy Influence - 21st January. Why bother involving people in evaluation? – 22nd January. Getting the best from your grantholders - 18th February. Let's Evaluate! Lite - starts 4th March. Evaluating Prevention - 22nd April.
An infographic. ‘What are the benefits of neutral facilitation? Our Shared Learning Programme is a way of ‘reporting’ where we facilitate a series of learning events for funded organisations and write reports with thematic analysis, instead of organisations submitting full written reports. So, what’re the benefits of working this way. Better and more complete learning is generated. Funded projects confirm important or emerging themes. They explore further learning, get to know each other and their funders. They gain confidence from discovering shared challenges. The learning is easier to share. This means that the learning that emerges is more complete. Shared learning reports are designed to be accessible with sections that can be extracted and easily shared. Life is made easier for the funder. This way of working involves projects and funders coming together to identify, discuss & capture shared learning. This removes pressure from funding officers.
Let’s Evaluate! Learn how to measure your impact and demonstrate the difference your work makes. Autumn 2025 learning programme – register now! Workshop 1 – Getting started, 06/11/25 Workshop 2 – Make to measure, 20/11/25 Workshop 3 – Telling my story, 04/12/25
This graphic shows the evaluation pathway: a cycle of 4 different steps. Step 1: Setting outcomes and indicators Step 2: Collecting Evidence Step 3: Analysing and reporting Step 4: Acting on your learning The cycle then repeats.
Are you an Evaluation Leader in your organisation?
Let’s Evaluate Lite. Autumn 2025. This workshop will be delivered over 2 days. Dates: 09:30am – 1pm, 18th of September 2025 09:30 – 1pm, 25th of September 2025
A group of people working together on a large piece of paper – one person is holding a pen, the people are smiling/laughing.
A graphic of a light bulb next to text that reads: While 65% of respondents said they could not afford evaluation support without funding, only 25% of respondents have ever had evaluation support paid for by a funder. This snippet is from the Evaluation Support Scotland survey entitled the Big Listen.
A graphic from the Small Charity Week campaign, running from the 23rd – 28th of June. There is large text alongside a graphic of a megaphone, the text reads “Let’s help small charities make an even bigger impact’ #SmallCharityWeek.”
Let’s Evaluate Lite workshop. New to self-evaluation or looking for a Let’s Evaluate refresher? This workshop provides an overview of the main principles involved in self-evaluation.
The ESS principle: Good evaluation should be used by you, is indicated with a light bulb symbol. Along side this symbol is a graphic of a clipboard, and the text: ESS Support Guide, Acting on your learning from evaluation. Use this support guide to help you think about what you might do with the learning from your evaluation results.
Did you know that we host Networks? • Evaluation Leaders’ Network • The Funder Evaluation & Learning Group • Supporting You To Support Others Network • Scotland’s Third Sector Research Forum
The main body of this image shows text alongside decorative graphics – the text reads: ESS Evaluation Methods & Tools – Embedding Evaluation Checklist. Use the embedding evaluation checklist to reflect on what in your organisation is helping make evaluation happen, and what could be improved. Next to the main body of text is a cartoon of a 4-piece jigsaw puzzle – each piece containing the outline or a person. The text underneath reads: Good evaluation should fit the way you do your work.
This image shows a preview of the 5 principles self-assessment tool. Each of the principles is listed in a column, the rows are labelled with different confidence levels e.g. I have no idea, not at all, very much so.
The main body of this image shows text alongside decorative graphics – the text reads: ESS Support guide – Evaluating Prevention. ESS Workshop - Evaluating Prevention, 19th of June 2025, 9th of December 2025. Next to the main body of text is a cartoon of a hand underneath a heart, the text underneath reads: Good evaluation should be about what matters.
This image shows an excerpt from the Evaluation Story: Edinburgh Food Project. The text reads: One of the key findings of this work was the importance for clients of feeling welcomed and not being stigmatised. This came out most strongly in quotes – which shows the value of having qualitative as well as quantitative survey questions! Alongside the text is a decorative graphic used to indicate an ESS principle, the caption underneath reads: ESS principle – Involves the people you support. Outside of the excerpt is text (alongside an arrow which points to the excerpt) which reads: ESS Principles for good evaluation.
This image shows a preview of the filter function on our resource page. This example shows that you can filter by ESS resources, Evaluation Pathway, Principles for good evaluation, resources by sector, resources by theme, year published, or search manually. Along side the preview of the filter panel is text that reads ‘Did you know you can use the filters on our resource page to sort by our principles for good evaluation?’. Above the text are decorative graphics which represent the 5 principles.
This graphic shows information for our Evaluating Prevention workshop. The text reads: At this workshop you will learn to: • Clarify what you’re preventing and for whom • Identify protective factors to generate positive outcomes • Use the above to create a theory of change • Use evidence to report on prevention activities Alongside the text there is a graphic of 4 hexagons numbered 1 to 4.
Let’s Evaluate! Learn how to demonstrate the difference your organisation makes. Spring 2025 learning programme – register now! Workshop 1 – Getting started, 30/04/25 Workshop 2 – Make to measure, 14/05/25 Workshop 3 – Telling my story, 28/05/25
This image is a collage of photos of the ESS team at the gathering. In the photos the team members are talking to people at an exhibition stand, and posing for photos.
This image shows our 5 principles for good evaluation. The text reads, Good evaluation should: Be about what matters, fit the way you do your work, involve the people you support, be used by you, and be communication well.
This graphic shows our current workshop information. The learning programme ‘Let’s Evaluate!’ is running in spring, summer and autumn of 2025. The workshop ‘Evaluating Policy Influence’ is running in autumn 2025, and winter 2026.
This graphic contains text, alongside a cartoon of a person looking at a map with a magnifying glass. The text reads: Evaluating Policy Influence workshop. Can policy influence be evaluated? If so... how? This half day workshop will provide practical tips and tools on how to tackle the challenge!
A graphic showing people working together to put giant jigsaw blocks together. The text underneath reads: Join our Board of Trustees.
A promotional card from SCVO. It reads: We’re a Gathering exhibitor… Come and see us at our stand! The website is listed: scvo.scot/the-gathering And the hashtag #SCVOGathering Dates: 4th - 5th of February 2025 Location: Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC)