Uni Connect is being evaluated at a national level to assess how successfully the programme meets its aims, in addition to local partnership evaluation.
We'll use evidence from the evaluation to understand:
- whether Uni Connect is working
- how well it's working
- who it's working for.
We'll use this information to support our funding decisions and refine practice at a local level.
External national evaluation
We've commissioned CFE Research to undertake an impact evaluation assessing the changes that have resulted from Uni Connect interventions.
This will use a range of quantitative, experimental methodologies and include a review of the evidence from partnerships' local evaluations with reports at key points in the programme.
In phase two, Ipsos MORI is conducting a formative evaluation of Uni Connect, focused on understanding:
- Outreach hub strategic approach and delivery progress
- School/college experience and engagement
- Learner targeting and engagement
- Unique offering of Uni Connect.
In 2021, Ipsos MORI will develop effective practice case studies and generating action learning to ensure we make the most of Uni Connect evaluation findings.
OfS national evaluation
We will undertake:
- quantitative analysis using national administrative data sets to assess:
- key stage 4 and 5 behavioural change
- numbers of entrants to higher education
- attainment
- progression
- ongoing monitoring and governance of partnerships, including account management and monitoring of biannual financial returns and operating plans.
Partnership local evaluation
Partnerships will undertake:
- longitudinal tracking of Uni Connect target learners at local and national level to evaluate the impact of particular interventions
- local evaluation of their activities.
Evaluation reports
CFE Research published an evaluation report on the first year of the programme in March 2018.
The evaluation report at the end of phase one was published in October 2019.
The review of evaluation evidence submitted by Uni Connect partnerships was published in December 2020.
The report with evaluation findings from the 2019 (wave 2) learner survey was published in March 2021.
Ipsos MORI published the findings of its evaluation survey on schools and colleges’ engagement and experiences of the Uni Connect programme in March 2021.
