Abstract

*Highly Commended in the Health and Social Care category of the 2011 BMA Medical Book Awards*

For those involved in commissioning and running projects working with people, measuring performance and assessing outcomes are an essential part of applying for and maintaining funding, and a way of demonstrating the project's achievements. This versatile 'how to' book guides you through the process of evaluating your project in order to improve funding applications and build the case for your project's survival.

The guidance in this book will help you to set out what the aims and projected outcomes of your project are, how these will be achieved, and shows you how to capture evidence for outcomes. To cater for readers working in different settings, a broad range of case examples is used including youth groups with at-risk young people, a refuge for women who have suffered domestic violence, a road safety education programme and midwives encouraging new mothers to stop smoking. The book also includes a host of practical features designed to provide a deeper understanding of the subject, including activities, reflective tools, and a glossary of key terms.

A Practical Guide to Outcome Evaluation will help to ensure the success of projects that make a difference to people's lives, and will be an essential reference for managers and practitioners working in people-orientated professions including social work, health, teaching, youth work, criminal justice, the arts and the emergency services.

This book is groundbreaking: it contains twenty or thirty short rough example descriptions from various fields of social work or child welfare, and makes tangible what it means to impement outcome evaluation.
The Socialnet Internet Review Service
Liz Hoggarth formerly worked as a senior manager of local authority youth, community and play services and latterly as a senior research fellow of the Youth Affairs Unit at De Montfort University, Leicester. Hilary Comfort is an associate lecturer at De Montfort University and the Open University and teaches Higher Education at Leicester College. Liz and Hilary have been heavily involved in writing and training on outcomes evaluation, especially for those working with children and young people in statutory and third sector organisations.
Liz Hoggarth and Hilary Comfort provide a convincing argument for why those working with children and young people should measure outcomes... As the authors argue, evaluating outcomes isn't a paper exercise - it is about improving services and shaping a better quality of life for the young. This is a well-written and valuable handbook that all practitioners and managers in the youth sector should keep by their side.
Fiona Blacke, Chief Executive, National Youth Agency.
One cannot underestimate the importance of demonstrating how we evaluate services and the need for everyone involved to develop and acquire knowledge and skills in this area. This is a timely and much welcomed text which is both accessible and provides an in-depth knowledge of the topic. It will certainly be on the reading list for all my students, particularly leaders and managers in care services and comes highly recommended.
Trish Hafford-Letchfield, Senior Lecturer Mental Health and Social Work, Middlesex University and management mentor.