Performance measurement should not be a stick to beat your team with, it should be an incentive scheme that respects and rewards your team for their efforts and encourages collaborative working to create a live, advocacy record of why what you do is so important.

In plain language, performance measurement lets your team’s achievements be heard.

Evaluation on the other hand…evaluation is a creative record of how you do what you do and what the impact of that work is on the businesses, communities and individuals that you work with.

If you do not evaluate what you do, you have no proof that you can take the credit for anything ?

Relevant Experience - Case Studies

• Outdoor focus group work with a technology partner of a joint Canal and River Trust/HLF multi-site project, highlighted flaws within the interpretation methodology, that saved the partner money and ensured that the end product was usable in an outdoor setting.  The technology partner opposed the evaluation but after seeing its power in action, intended to follow the methodology with other contracts.
• HLF project non-user consultations for Bramall Hall and Park using touch-screen technology to survey non users 24/7 at local library, doctors’ surgery, supermarket and sweet shop.  A separate non-user consultation was conducted via administered surveys in the parkland surrounding Bramall Hall, to establish why park visitors were not Hall visitors.  Writing and presenting the resulting evaluation reports.
• Managing and leading a community open day (from 9am until 7pm – that being the time after which the commuter arrivals at the train station were minimal) at which various HLF team proposals were presented to the public for them to choose their preferred focus for Phase II bid proposal.  Collating and evaluating the results from each presentation team and presenting the report to the HLF Steering Group.
• Creating the evaluation methodology submitted to HLF as part of the successful Phase II bid for Bramall Hall.
• Critical Success Factor Evaluation of Inspired to Aspire training scheme with Lowry Manchester and Salford Council – working with young people hampered by low expectations of their future paths, to determine why the positive outcomes of the project were higher than anticipated and then to encourage larger-scale roll out.
• Economic and social impact evaluation of events such as Stockport Town Hall centenary and Stockport Market 750 Anniversary, which not only showed the social value of the event programme but was also able to indicate the additional spend brought into the town specifically because of the finale events for both celebration programmes.
• Evaluation of my own project management of an Industrial Provident Society governed model, community store and café start up on a National Trust estate.  This included evaluating the social and economic impact on the larger community of this volunteer-staffed community hub, to present to International Women’s Day in Stockport.
• Lead consultant in the use of technology for consultation and in the design of evaluation work in the arts, culture and heritage sector for the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities, Pennines and East Lancs, Cumbria and Cheshire. 
  • As an independent consultant, I supported audience development organisations in the North West through training and implementation of evaluation and tailored performance reporting systems 
  • For Museums Development North West, I provided 1-2-1 training and group training in the use of data for advocacy, marketing effectiveness measurement and performance management
  • My experiences in bringing consultations directly into the target communities, has led to various presentations, including providing training sessions for the Consultation Institute and Audience Development Groups in the North West 
• In 2016, I also wrote DATA ANALYSIS What it is, why we do it and why it is good for you for Museums Development North West.  The manual included sections on 'What is Data Analysis?', 'Questioning Your Audience' , 'Tips to Consider Before Starting to Analyse Your Data' and 'Effective Presentation of Your Data'. It guides readers through from first principals to report writing and creation of advocacy tools for the participating organisations.
• Longitudinal  research and analysis (2006-2011) of Heritage Open Days as a gateway to cultural engagement and building civic pride in the borough of Stockport. 
  • HOD evaluation was standardised across all participating sites across the Borough and the resulting annual reports widely circulated by, and presented to the Civic Trust and local authority ‘Heritage Champions’ 
  • The methodology created strong advocacy evidence for the wider community impact of heritage engagement
  • Evaluation showed increases in HOD attendance from people who say that they would not normally visit heritage attractions – at the time, this was 35% of HOD audience. Stockport’s programme proved to be highly effective at reaching into communities that usually have marginal contact with Stockport Council in general, offering many opportunities for organisational cross-promotion. In 2009, to investigate what makes HOD effective as a participation gateway, we asked these non-users why they felt that they didn’t usually visit heritage attractions and what they felt was different about HOD. 70% of non-users cited time poverty as the main reason for non-engagement.  The ability during HOD to visit places not usually open was of equal importance to the fact that entry is free
• Back evaluation Arts for the Homeless.  Arts engagement project delivered in women’s refuge in centre of local authority housing estate experiencing intimidation and harassment. Report identified a number of indicators of improved personal and wellbeing (increase in school attendance rates, improved academic performance and reduced anti-social behaviour) and a need for deliverers to be better briefed as to the personal experiences of their participants.
• Baseline creation for a youth-centred curatorial project in a museum illustrated the point from which increased socialisation and civic pride could be measured, in addition to qualitative evaluation of social engagement throughout the exhibition which was the primary output of the project.
• In 2018, I also completed a course in Public Speaking and Presentation Skills, which led to a course in stand-up comedy.  Both of these have fine-tuned my presentation skills and ability to deliver the appropriate message to an audience.
• I was the Directorate equality lead for Stockport Council for nearly two years and evaluated the robustness of numerous EIA during that period.