This working paper sets out the essentials of the evaluability assessment approach, which What Works Scotland has identified as one of its key approaches to improving the use of evaluation and evidence by community planning partnerships. The paper describes how evaluability assessment has been used to date, with a focus on examples relevant to Scotland, and suggests how it may be used in future.
Timeline for development of Scottish Government’s ‘National Performance Framework’ and outcomes
This document, produced by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, summarises the key policy development stages and timeline for the Scottish National Performance Framework and Outcomes Approach
Timeline for development of Community Planning in Scotland
This document summarises the key policy development stages and timeline for the Community Planning model in Scotland.
Getting evidence into action to improve Scotland’s public services
This working paper sets out how What Works Scotland, at the start of its programme, aimed to address key issues in using evidence to inform change through the development and extension of existing ways of working, and the development of new resources and approaches.
Perspectives on Improvement and Effectiveness: Key Definitions and Concepts
Review of the academic literature on public service improvement to provide a working definition of the term and the main theoretical models of improvement. The paper also insludes a sample of the empirical evidence on ‘what works’ in improving public services
Perspectives on Knowledge into Action in education and public service reform: A review of relevant literature and an outline framework for change
This paper presents a literature review on what works in Knowledge into Action in education including an examination of evidence-based models that support the effective translation of knowledge within the Scottish education system. It brings together ideas from What Works Scotland and the Robert Owen Centre for Educational Change.
The Cost of School Holidays
This review gauges the extent and nature of available literature on the cost of school holidays for families in the UK with low income and the effects holidays have on children’s educational attainment. Published July 2015.
Supporting Collaborative Action Research: Developing a more systematic approach
This working paper describes the approach followed by the What Works Scotland team in carrying out a ‘mini-inquiry’ exercise to develop the What Works Scotland collaborative action research framework.
Collaborative Action Retreat Report – Summary of retreat held in June 2015
Report of the first collaborative action research retreat for representatives from Aberdeenshire, Fife, Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire – our case site partners – and the What Works Scotland team, held in June 2015.
Changing Lives, Delivering Success
What Works Scotland presentation at the Scottish Government’s 2015 Community Planning Conference entitled Changing Lives, Delivering Success: Turning Ambition into Action.