National Evaluation of the Scottish Executive’s Community Wardens Initiative
The Brief: To undertake a major 2 year formulative evaluation on behalf of the Scottish Executive. As a company we have experience of undertaking both formative and longitudinal evaluations of a range of public sector interventions. The company also has specific experience of community wardens schemes, having undertaken evaluations of schemes funded under the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund.
The company is currently undertaking a formative evaluation, for the Scottish Executive, of the 32 community wardens’ schemes that are operating in all council areas in Scotland. The evaluation, lasting from 2004 to 2006, involves 9 detailed case studies of contrasting wardens’ schemes. This is set within the context of regular reports looking at development progress in all 32 schemes, highlighting issues and suggesting actions to overcome emerging problems. The work also involves base and end line surveys of the case study areas and of 2 control areas, so it will be possible to isolate the impact of the wardens’ schemes from other factors that will affect crime and anti-social behaviour. As part of this ongoing work we are also providing a Help Desk which offers councils monitoring and evaluation support on such things as setting baselines and targets. The report of the final evaluation will be published in 2007.
Sheffield