Climate Action Hubs programme: evaluation

Annex 2: Evaluation tools

Discussion Guide for Hubs

Section 1: About you [For all interviewees]

• What is your role or connection to the Climate Action Hub?
• How long have you been involved with the Hub?
• Which tasks, responsibilities or activities are you involved in?

Section 2: Hub operation [For Hub leads]

• Can you provide a brief explanation of how the Hub is run and how activity is delivered, reflecting on:
• The role of the lead partner and any supporting organisations
• How many staff and volunteers the Hub has, and a summary of their roles
• Where activity takes place
• The Hub’s governance model
• What is working well about the model of delivery?
• How could the Hub’s delivery model be improved?
• How closely does the delivery of the Hub align with what was originally planned?
• Have there been changes/deviations?
• What factors led to these changes?

Section 3: Funding [For Hub leads]

• How has Hub funding been spent?
• What types of activities, projects and initiatives has the Hub delivered?
• How has seed funding been allocated and used?
• What has been the impact of the seed funding allocated?
• Has the Hub accessed other or additional sources of funding?
• Which sources, and how were they accessed?
• What challenges/barriers to accessing additional funding has the Hub faced?
• What helped to enable successful funding applications?

Section 4: Local context and place-based approaches [For all interviewees]

• How has the Hub’s approach been tailored to local needs or regional context?
• How are local needs identified and understood?
• Have any specific activities been developed in response to local need?
• What are the challenges involved in delivering a place-based approach?

Section 5: Partnership working and collaboration [For all interviewees]

• In what ways has the Hub worked with other partners/organisations?
• How would you describe the success of these partnerships?
• What have been the key components of successful partnerships?
• What are the challenges/barriers to success when working with other organisations?
• How successful has the hub been in bringing people together and strengthening collective voice and action?
• To what extent do the Hubs foster collaboration on climate action?
• In what ways are the Hubs working together to join-up, maximise delivery and scale up successful approaches?

Section 6: Community engagement and empowerment [For all interviewees]

• How successful has the Hub been at engaging with communities?
• What are the enabling factors?
• What are the barriers for communities participating in Hub activities?
• Who are the Hub’s target audiences?
• How were they identified?
• To what extent is the Hub is reaching these groups?
• Have any groups been more difficult to reach/engage? Why?
• To what extent are communities more aware of climate issues and risks as a result of the Hub?
• Can you share any examples? Which kinds of climate issues and risks have people become most aware/more knowledgeable about?
• How has the Hub contributed to this?
• What have been the most effective approaches/strategies?
• To what extent are communities taking climate action as a result of the Hub?
• Can you share any examples? What kind of climate action has been undertaken?
• In what ways is the Hub providing opportunities for communities to engage in influencing policy and decision-making?
• Are there examples of communities influencing decision-making or policy?

Section 7: Equitable and inclusive climate action [For all interviewees]

• To what extent has the Hub contributed to making climate action more equitable, diverse, and inclusive?
• How would you describe the range/diversity of those engaged with the Hub?
• Are there any gaps/underrepresented groups?
• What strategies have been used to engage underrepresented groups?
• Which strategies have worked well? Which have been less effective?

Section 8: Innovation [For all interviewees]

• How are the Hubs fostering innovation in climate action within their communities?
• Which strategies have worked well? Which have been less effective?
• Are there opportunities for local innovations to be scaled up or replicated elsewhere? Are there any examples where this has started to happen?

Section 9: Monitoring and evaluation [For all interviewees]

• How is the Hub using monitoring and evaluation to inform and improve delivery?
• Are there any examples of how monitoring and evaluation have led to improvements?
• How is learning shared within and between Hubs?
• Are there any examples of how monitoring and evaluation has supported successful funding applications?

Section 10: Sustainability and future of the programme [For all interviewees]

• How sustainable do you think the impacts/outcomes achieved so far are?
• What factors might contribute to or hinder the sustainability of these outcomes?
• What improvements or changes would you suggest for the future of the Hub programme? Please share your thoughts on this:
• About the Hub itself
• At a national/programme level
• The support offered by the Scottish Government

Section 11: Final reflections [For all interviewees]

• What have been the main challenges in the implementation and delivery of the Hub’s work?
• How have these challenges been addressed?
• Is there any key learning that can be drawn from the way the Hub has responded to these challenges?
• What have been the Hub’s key successes/achievements?
• Have there been any unexpected or unintended impacts (positive or negative)?
• Do you have any final comments you would like to make?

Discussion Guide for Community Members

Section 1: Connection to the Hub

• How did you first hear about your local Climate Action Hub?
• How and when did you first get involved with the Hub?
• What made you decide to get involved?
• How would you describe the Hub to someone who is unfamiliar with their work?
• Which Climate Action Hub activities have you been involved in?
• Can you describe your experience of attending Hub events or participating in Hub activities?
• What worked well about the event or activity you took part in?
• Did anything work less well or are there things that can be improved?
• What kinds of support have you received from the Hub?
• How helpful was this support for you?
• Are there other types of support you would have liked to receive?

Section 2: Overall impact of the Hub

• Has being involved with the Hub changed your awareness or understanding of climate issues?
• How? In what ways?
• Have you or your community taken any new actions on climate as a result of the Hub’s activities?
• Can you share any examples of positive changes or impacts linked to the Hub?
• For you?
• For your local community?
• For Scotland as a whole?
• How successful has the hub been in bringing people together to work together and take action on climate issues?
• Can you provide any examples?
• In what ways is the Hub providing opportunities for communities to engage in influencing policy and decision-making?
• Are there examples of communities influencing decision-making or policy?

Section 3: Equitable and inclusive climate action

• How welcoming, inclusive and accessible have you found the Hub’s activities and communications?
• Have there been any challenges or barriers to your participation?
• How would you describe the diversity of those engaged with the Hub?
• Are there any gaps/underrepresented groups?
• What could the Hub do to be more inclusive or accessible?

Section 4: Final reflections

• What have been the Hub’s key successes and achievements?
• Are there areas where you think the Hub could improve or do more? Do you have any suggestions for how the Hub could improve in the future?
• Do you have any final comments you would like to make?

Discussion Guide for National Stakeholders

Section 1: About you

• What is your role and connection to the Climate Action Hubs programme?

Section 2: Programme delivery and model

• How would you describe the programme’s model of delivery?
• What is working well about the programme’s model of delivery?
• How could the programme’s delivery model be improved?
• How closely does the delivery of the programme align with its original design and objectives?
• Have there been changes/deviations?
• What factors led to these changes?
• What support is available to the Hubs at a programme level?

Section 3: Cross-hub collaboration and networking

• How successful has the programme been in fostering collaboration and networking between Hubs?
• What mechanisms exist for sharing best practices and learning across Hubs?
• How successful have these mechanisms been?
• In what ways are the Hubs working together to join-up, maximise delivery and scale up successful approaches?
• Are there examples of joint initiatives or collective action that have emerged from cross-Hub collaboration?
• What are the main barriers to effective collaboration and networking at a national level?

Section 4: Community engagement and empowerment

• In your view, how successful have the Hubs been at engaging with communities across Scotland?
• Are communities more aware of climate issues and risks as a result of the programme?
• Are communities taking climate action as a result of the programme?
• In what ways are Hubs providing opportunities for communities to engage in influencing policy and decision-making?
• Are there examples of communities influencing decision-making or policy?
• How successful have the Hubs been in bringing people together and strengthening collective voice and action?
• To what extent do the Hubs foster collaboration on climate action?

Section 5: Equitable and inclusive climate action

• To what extent has the programme Hubs contributed to making climate action more equitable, diverse, and inclusive on a national scale?
• How would you describe the range/diversity of those engaged with the Hubs?
• Are there any gaps/underrepresented groups?
• What strategies have been used to engage underrepresented groups?
• Which strategies have worked well? Which have been less effective?

Section 6: Innovation

• How are the Hubs fostering innovation in climate action within their communities?
• Which strategies have worked well? Which have been less effective?
• Are there opportunities for local innovations to be scaled up or replicated elsewhere? Has this started to happen at all?

Section 7: Monitoring and evaluation

• What systems are in place for monitoring and evaluating the programme’s progress?
• How effective are these systems in capturing impact and informing improvements?
• Are there examples of how monitoring and evaluation have led to programme-wide changes or improvements?
• How is learning from monitoring and evaluation shared across Hubs and with national stakeholders?

Section 8: Sustainability and future of the programme

• How sustainable are the impacts/outcomes achieved so far at a national level?
• What factors contribute to or hinder the sustainability of these outcomes?
• What strategic changes would you recommend for the future of the Climate Action Hubs programme?

Section 9: Final reflections

• What have been the main challenges in the implementation and delivery of the programme?
• How have these challenges been addressed?
• Overall, how would you describe the progress that has been made?
• Are there any areas where progress has been slower than expected?
• What factors have influenced this?
• What have been the most significant achievements at a programme level?
• Have there been any unexpected or unintended impacts (positive or negative)?
• Do you have any final comments you would like to make?

Online Survey

Section 1: About you [All groups]

• Which Climate Action Hub are you primarily affiliated with?
• What is your role in connection with the Climate Action Hub?
• Hub lead organisation staff member or board member
• Hub Volunteer
• Representative of organisation in receipt of seed funding
• Community member involved in a project/event
• Representative of a partner organisation [please specify which organisation]
• Other [please specify]
• How long have you been involved with the Hub? [Community members]
• Please describe your past engagement with the Hub (e.g. the nature of any work, volunteering or events attended).

Section 2: Experience with the Hub Community members

• In your view, what have been the most successful for impactful events and activities delivered by the Hub?
• What kinds of support have you received from the Hub?
• How welcoming, inclusive and accessible have you found the Hub’s activities and communications?
• What could the Hub do to be more inclusive or accessible?

Section 3: Impact of seed funding Recipients of seed funding [Recipients of seed funding]

• What are your views on the process of applying for seed funding?
• How much seed funding have you received in total?
• Please describe what seed funding has been used to deliver.
• What has been the impact of the seed funding on your organisation and community?

Section 4: Overall impact of the Hub [All groups]

• Please indicate the extent to which you agree with each of the following statements: [options: strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree]
• The Hub has helped bring people together locally to act on climate change
• The Hub has helped bring more attention to local climate change issues and risks
• The Hub is an effective champion for local communities’ needs with respect to climate change
• The Hub has provided opportunities for communities to engage in influencing policy and decision-making
• The Hub has contributed to making climate action more equitable, diverse, and inclusive
• The activities of the Hub will have a lasting impact into the future
• Please explain your answers.

Section 5: Local context and place-based approaches [Staff only]

• How has the Hub’s approach been tailored to local needs and/or regional context? This could reflect local geography, wider socio-economic factors or specific climate risks faced.
• Have there been any challenges involved in delivering a place-based approach?

Section 6: Partnership working and collaboration [Staff only]

• In what ways has the Hub worked with other partners/organisations? Please provide examples.
• In what ways has the Hub worked with other Climate Action Hubs across Scotland? Please provide examples.

Section 7: Equitable and inclusive climate action [Staff only]

• How would you describe the range/diversity of those engaged with the Hub?
• What strategies have been used successfully to engage underrepresented groups?

Section 8: Innovation [Staff only]

• Can you provide examples of innovative projects, approaches or initiatives delivered by the Hub?
• Are you aware of any projects or activities that have been scaled up or replicated elsewhere?

Section 9: Monitoring and evaluation [Staff only]

• How is the Hub using monitoring and evaluation to inform and improve delivery?
• Have there been any challenges in setting up and implementing monitoring and evaluation processes?
• How is learning shared within and between Hubs?
• Has the Hub made any changes as a result of learning from another Hub? If yes, please provide details.

Section 10: Final reflections [All groups]

• [For staff] What have been the main challenges in the implementation and delivery of the Hub’s work?
• [For partners, volunteers, community members] Have you faced any challenges or barriers when engaging with the Hub?
• What have been the Hub’s most significant successes and impacts?
• What improvements or changes would you suggest for the future of the Hub programme?