Evaluation resources
During the registration process, one of the questions we ask is:
If you have stated that you do not yet undertake any form of self-evaluation or independent evaluation, will you undertake to apply best practice models of evaluation to your scheme or activity over the next 12 months?
Evaluation should be standard practice, and should be planned and funded as an integral part of an initiative, wherever possible at the outset. The approach to evaluation should be appropriate to the nature, scale, importance and target audience of the initiative being evaluated. Where possible, efforts should be made to minimise the potential burden on those responding to evaluations. It is also important to be realistic, both in assessing the effects of intervention and in expectations from evaluation.
Success could be measured in terms of both the number and range of schools, colleges and students participating in your scheme or activity, and improved attitudes towards studying and engagement with STEM subjects.
For some helpful guidelines on carrying out evaluation, please take a look at the best practice devised by Research Councils UK.
You might also be interested to know that standard STEM evaluation systems are currently being developed. You can find a draft of the policy document here.