What does “good” evaluation look like in practice..? In this guest blog for the @ukevaluation.bsky.social we outline our 5 principles for good evaluation and share real life examples that show what these principles look like in action.
Find the blog here ➡️ evaluation.org.uk/five_princip...
@evalsupscot.bsky.social is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and highly organised Finance and Business Manager to join their small, friendly team tinyurl.com/mu4cnr4m £37,258 pro-rata Edinburgh #charityjob
Could you be our new Finance & Business Manager? 💡
We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic & highly organised Finance & Business Manager to join our small, friendly team. Visit our website to find our more about the role & how to apply! ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/about/vacanc...
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’.
Logic models can help you to think about why your project or programme exists, why you do what you do, and why you think that makes a difference. 💡
Download our template to create your own logic model! ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/resources/in...
Self-Evaluation Week. 18th – 22nd of May 2026. Get involved and celebrate the difference you make!
For the past (almost!) 21 years we have been helping organisations to measure and explain their impact. To mark our milestone birthday this May we’re launching Self-Evaluation Week. 🎉
Join in and celebrate the difference your work makes! ✨ ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/21st/
In evaluation, evidence helps us answer questions such as ‘Did we make a difference?’, ‘When did we make the most difference?’ and ‘What did we learn?’. But are some kinds of evidence better than others…?
Read our latest blog to find out! ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/news/what-is...
Earlier this month we were at the SCVO's The Gathering – delivering a session as well as exhibiting. Here our team share their highlights from the event! ⬇️
Are your evaluation methods fit-for-purpose? Do they enable you to collect strong outcome evidence? 🔍
In this blog our Senior Training Officer talks about how using fit-for-purpose evaluation methods can make life easier for all involved ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/news/how-usi...
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.
Free resource sessions are back! In this series of short lunchtime sessions, we will introduce a resource and share tips to help you get the most out of it.
Book now 👉 evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/events/resou...
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.
We’re delighted to be hosting an event - 'the Joy of Clear Outcomes' - at the Gathering 2026! Join us and SCVO on the 10th and 11th of February at the EICC!
Booking now open for SCVO members ➡️ scvo.scot/the-gatherin...
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.
🚨 New workshop dates 🚨
Including:
- An additional round of 'Evaluating Prevention’
- New workshop ‘Why bother involving people in evaluation’
- The return of our funder workshop 'Getting the best from your grantholders'.
See what you could learn!💡➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/events/
🚨 Additional workshop date added for Evaluating Prevention
Prevention work is challenging & complex – our workshop provides practical tips & tools on how to tackle the challenge 🛠️
📅 22/04/2026
🕙 10:00am - 1:00pm
🖥️ Online
Secure your place now ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/events/evalu...
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.
Did you know we offer Shared Learning Programmes? 💡
See our infographic below to learn about the benefits of this way of reporting.
& Learn more about Shared Learning Programmes here: evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/resources/ne...
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
Join our Autumn 'Let's Evaluate!' programme to learn how to measure your impact and explain the difference your work makes. 🍂
Register for the Autumn 2025 learning programme ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/events/le-no...
Social media can be a good source for unsolicited feedback that can supplement other evidence.... however, it can only be a useful source of evidence if you capture it! 💡
See our resource to find out how ➡️ 📝 evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/resources/us...
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.
Navigating the evaluation pathway is a good way of getting started with your evaluation, or checking that you are progressing. Our new resource provides guidance to help you with each step of the pathway. 🌀
Find the resource here 💡 ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/resources/th...
Are you an Evaluation Leader in your organisation?
📣 Evaluation Leaders - save the dates!
Upcoming meetings:
- 10:00-11:30, 4th September
- 10:00-11:30, 15th December
- 10:00-11:30, 10th March
Interested in joining the Evaluation Leaders’ Network? Learn more here 🔍 ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/what-we-do/s...
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
💡| New to self-evaluation or looking for a refresher? Let’s Evaluate! Lite begins in just a few weeks!
This compact workshop is designed to help you get started with simple evaluation systems. ✏️
Sign-up now ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/events/le-li...
A group of people working together on a large piece of paper – one person is holding a pen, the people are smiling/laughing.
A person addressing an audience.
An audience member speaking into a microphone.
ESS Senior Evaluation Support Manager Gary reflects on the day: “It was a pleasure to be involved in a conference that was brimming with ideas, challenges, and inspiration. It felt like an urgent agenda, providing a barometer for current thinking across the sector."
Last month we jointly hosted the research symposium ‘Perspectives on Scotland’s third sector impact’ with TSRF, @vssn1.bsky.social, University of Glasgow, YouthLink Scotland, Volunteer Scotland and SCVO.
...Now we’d like to hear from the Funders! 🚨
Do you provide grant support? How important is it that your grant holders have sufficient evaluation procedures in place? We want to know! ➡️ forms.office.com/e/gR0dzpiu6w
Your answers will shape our future and the support we give – thank you!
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.
📣 At the end of 2024 we issued our survey the ‘Big Listen’ with the aim of learning how we can respond positively to the challenges facing the third sector.
See a summary of our findings here 💡 ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/resources/es...
See our Evaluation Stories to learn how our support has helped small charities, such as Music 4 U, Pain Concern, Speech Bubble Drama, Edinburgh Food Project & Edinburgh School Uniform Bank ➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/evaluation/e...
This #SmallCharityWeek we’d like to highlight some of the ways that small charities can access practical support through ESS. 💡
- Free resources including support guides, method sheets & case studies
- Training & workshops
- Tailored support for organisations
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.”
It’s #SmallCharityWeek!
As a small charity, we’re proud that by helping other charities measure & explain their impact, the sector is better equipped to deliver the best services for those who need them. ✅
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.
⭐ New workshop: 'Let's Evaluate! Lite' is a 1-day workshop designed to help you get started with simple evaluation systems.
Workshop dates:
🍂 Autumn: 18/09/25, 9:30am - 4:30pm
🌼 Spring: 04/03/26 & 11/03/26, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Secure your place now➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/event-series...
Gary Walsh, @evalsupscot.bsky.social, joined us to share reflections on how third sector organisations can demonstrate their impact and embed learning into delivery.
Great to have him as part of the discussion at Perspectives on Scotland’s Third Sector Impact @uofglasgow.bsky.social
Big thanks to @vssn1.bsky.social @evalsupscot.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social @scvo.scot @volunteerscotland.bsky.social Youth Link for such an interesting and thought provoking day #volunteering #research #community
📸 It’s a wrap!
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Perspectives on Scotland’s Third Sector Impact!
Proud to have co-hosted with
@scvo.scot, @evalsupscot.bsky.social (Third Sector Research Forum), @volunteerscotland.bsky.social, Youth Link Scotland and @uofglasgow.bsky.social.
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.
Good evaluation should be used by you💡
Our 'Acting on your learning' support guide helps you think about how you could use the learning from your evaluation.
Find the support guide - which includes examples - here➡️ evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/resources/es...
