ESF Evaluation
Evaluations are carried out to assess whether the ESF programme is achieving its objectives. Evaluations also provide evidence to improve the way ESF works.
ESF Evaluation Strategy
The ESF Evaluation Team has developed the evaluation strategies for the England and Gibraltar ESF programme 2007-2013 and 2011-2013. The evaluation strategies will examine the effectiveness of the programme and its contribution to policies to extend employment opportunities and develop a skilled workforce. Information about specific surveys and research projects will be placed on this page during the course of the programme.
- Updated evaluation strategy 2011-2013 England and Gibraltar ESF programme (218KB)
- Evaluation strategy for the 2007-2013 England and Gibraltar ESF programme (1.21MB)
Recent Evaluations
- DWP European Social Fund 2007-10 Co-financing Plans Evaluation (950KB) (May 2012). This report gives an overview of DWP’s ESF Co-financing plans for the first half of the 2007-2013 Operational Programme, from strategy to delivery.
- ESF Operational Programme 2007-2013 (487KB) (October 2011) synthesis of evidence from the first half of the programme This report draws together evidence to date from the 2007-2013 evaluation studies of ESF in England and Gibraltar specifically to assess the impact of the ESF programme and its effectiveness in meeting its objectives for the first half of the programme. The report was published on 8 October 2011.
- ESF Cohort Study Wave 3 (1.6MB) (September 2011). The report aims to provide information on the longer term outcomes of provision and whether the outcomes identified in earlier waves have been sustained. See all reports at Cohort Study of ESF Participants
- ESF Cohort Study Wave 2 (November 2010). The report has a specific focus on the outcomes of ESF provision, looking at whether participants have entered employment or progressed in their existing jobs following the interventions. See all reports at Cohort Study of ESF Participants
- ESF Cohort Study Wave 1 (99KB) (July 2010). The main aim was to provide more detailed evidence of the characteristics, experiences and longer term outcomes of ESF participants. See all reports at Cohort Study of ESF Participants
- Early Impacts of the European Social Fund 2007-13 (359KB) (May 2011).
The research paper estimates the effectiveness of DWP employment support
funded by the European Social Fund 2007-13 Programme for England.
Findings support the policy direction of refocusing ESF away from high
volumes of short term Jobseeker's Allowance customers towards
economically inactive and more disadvantaged groups, including families
with multiple problems, during the remainder of the 2011-2013 programme.
- Evaluation of ESF Priority 1 and Priority 4: Extending Employment Opportunities to Adults and Young People (525KB) (June 2011). This study provides an understanding of how effective ESF Priority 1 and 4 provision has been in terms of engaging with disadvantaged groups and tailoring provision to these groups.
- ESF Evaluation of Sustainable Development and Green Jobs (855KB) (June 2011). This is an evaluation of the sustainable development cross-cutting theme, and the promotion of green jobs, within ESF, focusing on the environmental aspects of the cross-cutting theme.
- Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities (July 2010). The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of equal opportunities mainstreaming policy and practice within ESF, in the context of helping to tackle the barriers experienced by each of the main equality groups. Interviews with national stakeholders took place in September to December 2009. Regional case studies were undertaken in December 2009 and January 2010. Analysis of Management Information and Cohort Study data was undertaken in January 2010. The study was undertaken by National Centre for Social Research
- In-Work Training support (July 2010). The aim of the study was to examine the nature and effectiveness of Priority 2 and Priority 5 provision for improving the skills of employees, especially those who need support to sustain their employment and help them advance at work. Initial interviews took place in October and November 2009. Case study interviews were held in January and February 2010. The study was undertaken by GHK Research and Consulting
- Publicity and Information study (March 2010) evaluates progress towards achieving the England ESF Communication Plan's objectives, including the visibility and awareness of the Operational Programme
- Regional ESF Frameworks Evaluation (August 2009). The aim of the study was to evaluate the extent to which regional ESF frameworks for 2007-2010 address regional employment and skills needs and inform the plans of Co-financing Organisations (CFOs)
- Ex-ante evaluation (595KB) to assess the relevance and effectiveness of the new 2007-2013 ESF programme (March 2007)
Current Evaluations
Four ESF evaluation studies commissioned by the DWP Evaluation Team will be published in 2012/2013.
ESF Cohort Study 2012
This study will enable evaluators to look at the experience of participants in new ESF provision funded from 2011 including the additional group within the Work Programme (the Incapacity Benefit/Income Support group) and the support for families with multiple problems. This will be a two stage longitudinal cohort survey, with the first wave of fieldwork starting summer/early autumn 2012 and the second wave six months later. The intention is to interview approximately 6,000 participants at wave one and 4,000 at wave two. There will be a single report in 2013.
ESF Innovation, Transnationality and Mainstreaming
This is a small qualitative project which will bring together individual project evaluations and interviews with key stakeholders from the projects, evaluators and the external organisations (such as policy makers in DWP) that the projects are seeking to influence. Fieldwork is being conducted in February/ March and a report will be available in November 2012.
ESF Priority 1 and 4 NEET: Extending Employment Opportunities to Effectiveness of equal opportunities policy and practice within ESF
This study commenced in January 2012 and is looking at the processes of the delivery chain from the referral process to the nature of employment provision delivered to young people including those who are NEET. It focuses on activity delivered by the CFOs which cover the whole of England: DWP, Skills Funding Agency and the National Offender Management Service, as well as some of the smaller CFOs.
The contractor is conducting qualitative case study visits of operational staff, provider staff and contract managers across a range of areas and providers, to examine the full process along the delivery chain from referral to outcome. The fieldwork started in spring 2012 and a report will be published at the end of 2012.
Evaluation of ESF Support for Troubled Families
From 2011, around three quarters of DWP CFO ESF provision will be used to help troubled families get closer to the labour market. This research will help us understand which disadvantaged groups are participating in this provision, as well as help us understand their level of satisfaction with the support they are receiving. It will also enhance our understanding of the extent to which disadvantaged people are achieving soft outcomes which will help them move closer to employment. It will provide a continuum of support which complements and adds value to the broader programme of DWP provision including the Work Programme.
The DWP Evaluation Team are currently carrying out a scoping study which will clarify how best to evaluate this support. They anticipate that they will carry out both qualitative and quantitative research, and will interview participants, operational staff and provider staff across a range of areas and providers. The scoping study will be carried out in March/April 2012, with the bulk of the research starting in Summer 2012.
ESF Evaluation Team
The ESF Evaluation Team is based in the Department for Work and Pensions and is located in Sheffield. It is independent from, but works very closely with, ESF Division. Team contacts are listed below.
- Bruce Byrne – bruce.byrne@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
- Ellenor Brooks – ellenor.brooks@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
- Vacancy for quantitative analyst
The evaluation team:
- Develop and deliver the evaluation strategy for the 2007-2013 ESF Operational Programme in England
- Analyse monitoring and survey data, draft reports and manage externally commissioned evaluation; and
- Feed emerging results from evaluation and monitoring into the work of the England Monitoring Committee to inform decision making.
The work is overseen by the evaluation sub-committee of the England ESF Programme Monitoring Committee.