Ipsos | Uni Connect Phase 3 : Attainment-raising Activity – Final Report
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1.2
Evaluation aims This evaluation builds on previous formative evaluations of Phase One , Phase Two , and the early stages of Phase Three of the Uni Connect programme . The Phase One formative evaluation captured the perspectives of partnership staff during initiation and early delivery of the programme , whilst Phase Two focussed on partnerships ’ progress in establishing the new outreach hubs and capturing the views of school and further education college staff on their experiences of the targeted outreach delivered through the programme .
Ipsos UK also previously conducted a formative evaluation of the early stages of Phase Three between May and December 2022 , which included partnerships ’ early plans for attainment-raising . To build on this , OfS commissioned Ipsos UK to further evaluate the delivery of attainment-raising activities in 2023- 24 . This evaluation is distinct from the previous three formative evaluations with its emphasis on attainment-raising , a new focus introduced under Phase Three . Specifically , the objectives of this formative evaluation are as follows :
▪ Understand the progress of Uni Connect partnerships with attainment-raising delivery in 2023-24 .
▪ Understand the opportunities , challenges and any unintended consequences of attainment-raising activity , including the view of schools .
▪ Identify and share effective practice to enhance programme delivery and impact .
▪ Generate evidence to inform future policy and funding decisions in relation to attainment-raising plans .
1.3 Methodology The methodology for this evaluation was conducted in three stages , as summarised in Figure 1.1 below . The findings included in this report draw together data collected and analysed across all three stages .
Figure 1.1 : Evaluation methodology
In Stage 1 , we reviewed partnerships ’ operating and attainment-raising plans for the 2023-24 academic year , which informed the development of our evaluation framework ( see Annex A ). We also reviewed previous evaluation outputs to inform the evaluation design and development of research tools . For example , the previous evaluation included development of an updated Theory of Change for the
20-048464 | FINAL | Public | This work was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international quality standard for Market Research , ISO 20252 , and with the Ipsos MORI Terms and Conditions which can be found at http :// www . ipsos-mori . com / terms .