Cash-First Programme: interim evaluation - updated

Appendix 3: Research Questions

RQ1. Process: Has the Programme been implemented and delivered as intended?

Governance and collaborative working

• In what ways has partnership working between different organisations been facilitated?
• How were interventions decided on?
• How were resources and responsibilities allocated/divided?
• Do Partnerships have the resources and information they need to deliver cash-first solutions? How has this changed over the life of the project?
• What are the differences in delivery approach between different areas?
• To what extent does local context affect delivery?

Engagement

• To what extent, and how, have people with direct experience of food insecurity been involved in the development and delivery of activities?
• How has the Learning Partner contributed to the development and delivery of activities?
• Do all partners understand and agree with the aims of the Programme?
• Do wider stakeholders support the activities delivered? (this might include people and organisations who are not core Partnership members, but have an interest – for example, professionals who refer people to food banks or other third sector food aid providers)

Targeting

• What groups, or people, have activities been designed to target, and how was this decided?
• What measures have been taken to reach groups of people for whom there may be barriers to accessing support?
• Did the activities succeed in reaching those targeted? What were the barriers/enablers encountered?

Use of data and knowledge

• To what extent do Partnerships use data and evidence to inform their cash-first activities?
• Are there appropriate monitoring and evaluation processes in place, and how have data sources and measurement methods been determined?

RQ2. Outputs: What has been produced as a result of the Programme?

• What cash-first initiatives are being developed or improved as part of the Programme?
• What are the strengths and limitations of different cash-first initiatives?
• What new or improved processes have been implemented? For example – processes for involving those with direct experience, or processes that enable partnership working?
• What resources have been produced to enable learning across the Programme?

RQ3. Impact/outcomes: What difference has the Programme made and for whom?

Collaborative Working

• What effect has the Programme had on ways of working between partners?
• To what extent has the work of the Learning Partner informed approaches to partnership working?
• What are the long-term prospects for relationships between partners?

Accessing support

• To what extent has the Programme improved access to cash-first responses?
• To what extent have people taken up cash-first responses? (Are there factors that inhibit take-up?)
• To what extent have people taken up wider support (e.g. money advice or employment services)?
• To what extent have these activities impacted on food bank referrals?
• To what extent have outcomes varied for different groups of people and why?

Wellbeing

• To what extent are people satisfied with the support they have received? (greater dignity, increased choice etc.)
• Are there other wellbeing benefits that can be attributed to the provision of cash-first support?

Objectives and sustainability

• To what extent were the activities appropriately designed?
• Is there evidence that the activities increased the food security of those supported?
• Can the actions undertaken as part of the Programme be sustained beyond the timeframe of the Programme?
• Can the outcomes be sustained in the longer-term?
• Were there any unintended consequences (positive or negative)?