Tag Archive for: evaluation framework

What Happens After You Appoint an External Evaluator?

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What happens after you appoint The Evaluator?

Appointing an external evaluator can feel like handing an important part of your project to people you do not yet know very well. You may be wondering how much time the process will take, what your team will be expected to do, whether the evaluator will understand the work quickly enough, and whether problems will be spotted before the final report.

Those are reasonable concerns. A strong proposal matters, but clients also need confidence in what happens after the contract is signed.

Our job is to make evaluation feel held: clear responsibilities, sensible tools, regular contact and enough challenge behind the scenes to produce findings that stand up to scrutiny. This is the process you can expect from us.

1. We begin by getting the important things out of people’s heads

The first stage is inception. We review the brief, funding requirements, project plans, existing monitoring and any previous research. Then we talk through what the project is really trying to achieve, what is already happening and where the uncertainties sit.

This is often where different strands begin to join up. Projects can involve several partners, audiences, activities, outcomes and reporting requirements. We create a shared picture, agree priorities and make decisions about what the evaluation can realistically answer.

This is often the point when people start to feel excited about the evaluation: the project becomes clearer, the possibilities begin to emerge, and the team can see how the process will support their work. We also begin agreeing the practical arrangements and responsibilities, building these out as the evaluation develops.

2. We turn ambition into answerable questions

Funding applications often contain broad and overlapping ambitions. Our role is to translate those into a focused set of evaluation questions and, where useful, a theory of change.

That means identifying the route from activity to outcomes, the assumptions underneath it and the evidence that will help us judge progress. We also review your targets and deliverables, checking that everyone understands what needs to be counted, how it will be recorded and who will be responsible. Where possible, we establish baselines or sensible comparison points and make clear where evidence will be indicative rather than conclusive.

This work creates the spine of the evaluation. Without it, projects can collect a great deal of information and still struggle to demonstrate what they delivered or answer the questions that matter.

3. We build tools that work in the real world

Next, we develop the evaluation framework and practical toolkit. This could include monitoring templates, surveys, interview guides, observation tools, participant reflection, demographic questions or creative in-person methods.

The right tool depends on the setting. A short community activity, an outdoor festival, a long-term volunteer programme and a strategic partnership cannot all be evaluated in the same way.

We design first for the people who will actually use and respond to the tools, as well as for the evidence the evaluation needs. If you are working with people experiencing deprivation, people facing language barriers, children or people with complex disabilities, we will adapt both the method and the way it is delivered so that participation is practical, appropriate and meaningful.

That might mean using simpler language, visual or creative approaches, supported conversations, shorter questions or accessible alternatives to a conventional survey. We aim to create methods that work in real settings—not polished, bureaucratic tools that look impressive on paper but place unnecessary demands on participants or delivery teams.

4. We make responsibilities manageable

External evaluation works best as a clear partnership. Your team may hold attendance records, capture routine feedback or introduce us to participants. We may lead deeper interviews, focus groups, observation, analysis and independent reporting.

We agree that division early and provide support where needed. This might include a short training session, written guidance, worked examples or a regular check-in. The aim is not to turn delivery staff into researchers. It is to make the information they gather consistent and useful without adding unnecessary weight to their jobs.

5. We check the evidence while the project is live

One of the biggest risks in evaluation is waiting until the end to discover that an important question was not asked or that data has been recorded inconsistently.

We build in proportionate progress and data-quality checks. We look at what is coming in, whether different groups are being heard, where response rates are weak and whether delivery changes affect the original framework. If something is not working, we raise it while there is still time to adapt.

These conversations are not about catching clients out. They are about protecting the final evaluation and helping the project learn during delivery.

6. We analyse, compare and challenge

Analysis is more than summarising a spreadsheet or selecting good quotations. We look for patterns, differences between groups, changes over time and explanations for what we are seeing. We compare monitoring data, surveys, interviews, observation and other sources rather than treating each in isolation.

We also look for evidence that complicates the emerging story. Where samples are limited, baselines are missing or other factors may have contributed to change, we say so. Conclusions are tested within the wider team before they become part of the report.

That internal challenge is a core part of our quality assurance. Accessible writing is the final layer; underneath it sits careful analysis and professional judgement.

7. We turn findings into something people can use

The report should give funders and boards confidence, but it should also help the people delivering the work. We structure findings around the questions and outcomes that matter, show how conclusions were reached, and make limitations clear without allowing them to obscure useful learning.

Recommendations are grounded in the evidence and proportionate to the organisation’s capacity. Depending on the commission, we may also present findings, run a learning session or produce concise visual material for wider audiences.

Our aim is not to leave a large document behind and disappear. It is to help the right people understand what the evidence means and what to do next.

What happens when projects change?

Projects change because funding is delayed, staff move, activities evolve, partners join or audiences respond differently from expected. Evaluation has to be structured without becoming rigid.

We keep the central questions in view, record agreed changes and adapt tools or timing where that protects the usefulness of the work. If a change affects scope or budget, we explain that early rather than allowing a surprise to appear at the end.

What about capacity and continuity?

Clients appoint The Evaluator as a consultancy, not an isolated individual. Each project has clear leadership and project management, with wider team involvement in delivery, analysis, review and cover. Our systems hold actions, deadlines and decisions so that continuity does not rely on one person remembering everything.

That team structure matters. It gives clients consistent contact while bringing more than one perspective to important findings. It also means quality and progress can be protected through busy periods, leave and the ordinary realities of working life.

What we need from you

Good evaluation does require collaboration. We will need timely access to relevant documents and data, honest conversations about delivery, help reaching participants or stakeholders, and enough notice of key events and changes.

In return, we take responsibility for holding the evaluation: keeping the framework coherent, making sense of evidence, identifying risks, asking the difficult questions and turning complexity into clear, useful findings.

If you are planning an evaluation and want to understand what the process would look like for your project, send us your brief—or talk to us before the brief is finished. We will help you work out a proportionate route from the questions you have now to evidence you can confidently use.

Seven Signs Your Project Needs an External Evaluator

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Seven signs your project would benefit from external evaluation

 

You don’t always need an external evaluator. Sometimes a clear internal framework, a few well-designed tools and protected time for reflection are enough.

But there are points when evaluation becomes difficult to hold alongside delivery. The project may have grown more complex, several partners may need a shared view, or the findings may now carry real weight with funders, boards and future decision-makers.

At that point, external evaluation is not simply about producing a report. It can bring structure to a complicated programme, protect the quality of the evidence and take some of the analytical burden away from a busy team.

Here are seven signs that outside support could be useful.

1. Your funder, board or partners need independent evidence

Internal monitoring can tell you a great deal, and delivery teams often hold vital knowledge about what is changing. But sometimes the people using the findings need a degree of independence too.

That may be because a funder expects an external view, a board will use the evidence to make a significant decision, or several partners need confidence that the findings do not reflect one organisation’s perspective alone.

An external evaluator can examine positive, negative and unexpected evidence, make limitations visible and distinguish what the project contributed from changes it cannot reasonably claim. Independence does not mean standing at a distance from the work. It means being close enough to understand it while retaining enough separation to test the story fairly.

2. The project has several strands, audiences or partners

Complex projects rarely arrive in one tidy shape. There may be different activities, places, audiences, delivery models and funding requirements. Partners may describe success differently or collect information in ways that do not easily fit together.

When that happens, the first value of evaluation is often clarity. An external evaluator can help the partnership agree the important questions, identify how the different strands connect and create a shared framework without flattening meaningful differences.

This is particularly useful in place-based, cultural, heritage, nature and community programmes, where outcomes develop through relationships and context as well as individual activities. The evaluator holds the overall picture while helping each partner understand their role within it.

3. You are collecting plenty of information but still cannot see the answer

Many organisations do not have a data shortage. They have attendance figures, spreadsheets, survey responses, case studies, meeting notes, photographs, analytics and informal feedback. What they lack is the time and structure to turn all of that into a clear judgement.

More collection will not necessarily solve that problem.

An evaluator can work backwards from what you genuinely need to know, assess what the existing evidence can answer and identify the important gaps. They can compare sources, look for patterns and differences, and test whether an appealing explanation is actually supported.

That process reduces noise. It helps teams move from ‘we have a lot of information’ to ‘we understand what this is telling us and what we need to do next.’

4. Evaluation keeps slipping behind delivery

This is extremely common. Delivery deadlines are immediate. Evaluation tasks feel as though they could happen next week, so next week becomes next month and important evidence is missed.

It is not usually because the team does not care. It is because the same people are managing activities, participants, partners, finances, communications and funder requirements. Evaluation becomes one more responsibility competing for attention.

External support creates ownership and rhythm. A good evaluator agrees responsibilities, introduces manageable tools, checks what is coming in and raises gaps while there is still time to respond. They do not expect delivery staff to become researchers. They create a process that fits around the work and keep hold of the parts that need specialist time.

This can bring a real sense of calm. Somebody is maintaining the framework, watching the evidence and keeping the final questions in view, rather than leaving the whole evaluation in an unfinished loop in the team’s heads.

5. You need to understand change, not simply count activity

Outputs matter. You need to know how many people participated, what was delivered and whether the intended audiences were reached. But those figures do not tell you, on their own, what difference the work made.

If the important questions involve confidence, wellbeing, belonging, skills, behaviour, organisational practice, environmental action or community change, you need evidence that can explore outcomes as well as activity.

An evaluator can help establish realistic baselines or comparison points, choose appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods, and consider change across different groups. They can also investigate how and why outcomes developed, including the conditions that helped or hindered them.

That prevents the final evaluation becoming either a list of impressive numbers or a collection of positive stories. Both can be valuable, but neither is enough on its own.

6. The findings will shape future funding or important decisions

Evaluation becomes especially valuable when the organisation needs to decide what to continue, change, scale or stop.

Perhaps a pilot is approaching its next funding stage. A successful model could be expanded. A partnership needs to agree its future direction. Or the organisation wants to make a stronger case for investment without overstating what the current evidence proves.

An external evaluator can help identify which elements are doing the most useful work, where outcomes are strongest, what remains uncertain and what would need to be in place for the approach to work elsewhere.

The aim is not to make every project look successful. It is to give decision-makers a credible account of what has been learned. Honest findings are often more reassuring than a report in which everything appears to have gone perfectly, because they show that the organisation is paying attention and knows how to improve.

7. The final evaluation needs to withstand scrutiny

A clear, attractive report is important, but reassurance comes from what sits underneath it.

Can each conclusion be traced to evidence? Have different sources been compared? Are sample limitations explained? Have differences between groups been examined where they matter? Are recommendations proportionate to what the findings can genuinely support? Has someone challenged the emerging interpretation before it becomes the final story?

External evaluation can provide analytical discipline and quality assurance. It also helps translate a complicated body of evidence into conclusions that funders, boards, partners and delivery teams can all understand.

The simplicity clients see at the end should be the result of difficult thinking being handled well—not difficult questions being avoided.

What does an external evaluator actually take on?

The answer depends on the project. External support could include refining a theory of change, developing an evaluation framework and practical tools, training delivery teams, undertaking selected interviews or fieldwork, checking data quality, analysing existing evidence, facilitating learning sessions and producing an independent report.

The evaluator does not necessarily need to collect everything. Often the strongest arrangement is a partnership: the delivery team gathers routine information at natural points, while the evaluator focuses on design, deeper enquiry, analysis, challenge and interpretation.

A good evaluator will help you decide what is proportionate rather than adding methods for the sake of making the evaluation look substantial.

You may not need a finished brief to get started with evaluation. Organisations sometimes wait to approach an evaluator because they think they need to specify the entire methodology first. You do not.

It is useful to know what the project is trying to change, who needs the findings, what evidence already exists and when important decisions or reports are due. The evaluator can then help shape the questions and recommend a realistic route.

At The Evaluator, we specialise in holding complexity without passing it back to the client. We create robust evaluation underneath and a process that feels straightforward on the surface. Our role is to bring clarity, honest independent judgement and evidence that people can confidently use.

If several of these signs feel familiar, send us your project outline or an early version of your brief. We can help you work out whether external evaluation would add value—and what level of support would be genuinely useful.

Often we can design a detailed evaluation quote in a 20 minute scoping call, and we are happy to do those. Why not reach out on info@theevaluator.co.uk ?

 

Choosing an evaluation consultant? Learn what charities, not-for-profits and public sector teams could look for when appointing an external evaluator.

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How to Choose the Right Evaluation Consultant for Your Project

If you are a charity, not-for-profit or public sector organisation looking for an evaluation consultant in the UK, it can be hard to know who to appoint.

From the outside, evaluators can look quite similar. Most will talk about impact, evidence, methods and reporting. Most can write a proposal that sounds credible. But the real question is not simply who writes the most polished tender.

The real question is: who will help you understand your project clearly, collect the right evidence, and turn that evidence into something you can actually use?

That matters because evaluation is often commissioned at an important moment. You might be preparing for a major grant, working through a development stage, or starting delivery after a significant funding award. There is usually a lot at stake. You need confidence that the evaluation will satisfy funders, support learning and help your team make better decisions.

So how do you choose the right evaluation consultant?

Start by asking people you trust

One of the best ways to find a good evaluator is still the simplest: ask around.

Ask your peers. Ask partner organisations. Ask funders, advisers, trustees or other senior leaders who have commissioned evaluation before. If someone has had a good experience with an evaluator, they will usually be able to tell you what made the process work.

This is useful because evaluation is not just a technical service. It is a working relationship.

You need someone who can understand the project, work well with senior leaders and delivery teams, ask good questions, make sense of complexity and communicate findings clearly. A recommendation from someone who has already worked with an evaluator can tell you a lot more than a website or proposal alone.

Look for relevant experience and previous work

Track record matters.

If your project involves community engagement, arts and culture, heritage, nature, health, wellbeing or place-based work, it helps to appoint someone who understands those settings. They do not need to have evaluated an identical project, but they should understand the reality of delivery.

Good evaluators know that participation can be uneven, delivery teams are busy, and community work does not always fit neatly into a spreadsheet. They know how to gather evidence without creating unnecessary work.

Ask to see examples of previous reports or outputs. A useful evaluation report should not just look impressive. It should be readable, honest and practical. You should be able to imagine giving it to trustees, funders, partners or senior colleagues and seeing how it would support decisions.

Ask how they would approach the project

Before asking for a full quote, it is worth having an informal conversation.

Look for evaluators who are willing to offer a 20 to 30 minute chat before they write a proposal. This gives you a much better feel for how they think. What questions do they ask? Do they understand the project quickly? Do they spot the right challenges? Do they make the process feel clearer or more complicated?

It also helps you work out whether you would enjoy working with them.

At The Evaluator, we usually try to have this kind of conversation before writing a quote. It helps us understand the client as well as the project. A tender brief can tell us what the work is, but a conversation often tells us how the organisation thinks, what they are worried about, and where evaluation could be most useful.

That matters because a good evaluator should not just price a list of pre-decided outputs. They should help you work out what level of evaluation is proportionate.

Sometimes organisations ask for more than they need. Three reports might sound thorough, but they may not be the best use of the budget. In some projects, one strong evaluation framework, a small number of well-designed tools and good support with data collection will be far more useful.

Do not judge only by the polish of the tender

A clear proposal matters. But the best evaluation partner is not always the organisation with the glossiest tender.

A larger consultancy may have a dedicated tender writer or more capacity to produce a very polished document. A smaller specialist team may not be able to spend a full week making a proposal look beautiful, because the senior people writing the quote are also the people designing, managing and delivering the work.

That difference matters.

A polished tender does not always tell you who will actually do the evaluation, how involved senior people will be, or whether the evaluator will stay close to the reality of the project once delivery begins.

So look beyond the procurement document. Ask who will lead the work, who will analyse the evidence and who will write the report.

Good evaluation depends on judgement, not just process.

Choose someone who makes evaluation useful

Good evaluation is not about collecting as much data as possible. It is about collecting the right amount of data, in the right way, and using it well.

That is where the best evaluation consultants add value. They help you avoid wasted effort. They design tools that work in real settings. They reduce duplicated requests. They make the process manageable for staff, volunteers, partners and participants.

At The Evaluator, we describe this as being creatively simple.

The process should feel simple for the people taking part. A survey should be easy to complete. A feedback activity should feel welcoming. A workshop should generate useful insight without feeling over-engineered.

Behind the scenes, the analysis may be complex. But that complexity should not be passed on to the client. The evaluator’s job is to do the hard thinking, make sense of the evidence, and present it back clearly.

A good evaluation consultant should bring relevant sector experience, proportionate methods, clear communication, honest analysis and practical recommendations that help funders, boards and delivery teams understand what the evidence means.

Look for honesty, not just positive findings

Evaluation is not marketing.

A good evaluator should recognise success, but they should also tell you what the evidence does and does not show. That kind of honesty is what makes evaluation credible.

A useful report explains what worked, for whom and why. It notices where outcomes were weaker or where delivery changed. It recognises the limits of the evidence. It helps you understand what is worth continuing, what needs adapting and what questions remain.

That should not feel threatening. Done well, honest evaluation gives organisations more confidence, not less.

Three questions to ask before appointing an evaluator

If you are choosing an external evaluator, these three questions will tell you a lot.

  1. Can you show us relevant previous work or connect us with a past client? This helps you understand both the quality of their outputs and what they are like to work with.
  1. How would you approach this project? This shows whether they can think strategically, not just respond to a brief.
  1. Who will actually deliver the evaluation? This helps you understand whether the people writing the proposal will be close to the work itself.

What a good evaluator should leave behind

A good evaluation should leave you with more than a report.

It should leave you with knowledge and a clearer sense of where you are going.

When organisations do not have good evidence, they can end up worrying about everything. Every issue feels equally urgent. Every decision feels uncertain. But when you look carefully at the numbers, the stories, the feedback and the wider context, priorities often become much clearer.

Good evidence helps you make decisions with more confidence.

It can show you what to scale, what to adapt, what to stop, what to explain to funders and what to focus on next.

So when you are choosing an evaluation consultant, do not only ask who has written the most polished tender.

  • Ask who will understand your project.
  • Ask who will make the work proportionate.
  • Ask who will be honest with you.
  • And ask who will turn complex evidence into clear learning you can actually use.

Planning to appoint an evaluator?

If you are preparing a brief, developing a funding bid or starting a newly funded project, we are happy to have an initial conversation about what level of evaluation would be proportionate, useful and manageable for your team.

The Evaluator Values 

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At The Evaluator, we have always had a clear idea of what we do and why we do it. In 2024, we have clearly defined that with a statement of values.

The values represent who we are at heart, and what we do for our clients, as well as underpinning all of our work.

What are business values?

Business values are described as the core principles and standards that guide a company’s actions, decisions, and behaviours. They represent what a company stands for and are essential in shaping its culture, brand identity, and strategic direction. These values influence how a company interacts with its employees, clients, funders, and the community in general.

By clearly defining and consistently using values, organisations can create a strong, positive culture and a sustainable competitive advantage.

The Evaluator Business Values

 

Image of the evaluator ruler branding and the words creatively simple honest and useful

Our values are shown on the image above and are; Honest, Useful and Creatively Simple.

Core Value for The Evaluator: Honest

Honesty matters to us. When decisions are to be made about data – people need to feel that the results are honest. We need to be honest about how we have collected data – what questions did we ask, and where did we ask them. We are by nature, honest people, who say the truth, and that is the secret to our success. Honesty builds trust, and our clients know we will tell the truth. That means funders can trust our impartial evaluation too, and that has many benefits for our clients when it comes to applying for funding in the future.

Core Value for The Evaluator: Useful

What we are really passionate about is getting our clients to use data to make decisions! We want people to be inspired and enthusiastic about data, and what it can do for organisations. That means, we spend a lot of time focussing on what data people need and how they can use it. We train clients and the organisations we work with on how to collect the correct data, and how to understand the data. We often collect data for people too. What is essential to this value (usefulness), is that we collect the right amount of data which we can use. We do not collect large amounts of data that is stored and never looked at. We collect the right amount of data, which is often less than people expect, and use what we have collected. The secret to powerful data is about how it is analysed and used, not how much of it there is!

Core Value for The Evaluator: Creatively Simple

Data can be complex. We spend a lot of time and energy making it creatively simple for people to work with us. Examples of creatively simple ways to collect data are things like – sticker boards, marbles, hula hoops and giant dice. These have all featured in our work! There can also be creatively simple ways to demonstrate complex results and personal experiences to clients. This is a value that we are always working on in order to improve.

Why did we choose these values?

Founder and Director, Kirsty Rose Parker, explains “We have been working hard behind the scenes on articulating what it is that makes us stand out. Sharing our core values is the first step of this. We have looked carefully at all the steps that make up an evaluation with us. From listening to people at the beginning, to being creative with our methods at evaluation design time. We regularly challenge ourselves on how to be simpler, how to be more creative and also on how our work can be honest and useful. These values are now an everyday part of The Evaluator – helping us to grow as a team, whilst retaining our quality service and products.”

Why do values matter in evaluation?

These are our values, but we also often include client’s values in the evaluations we plan. We have helped clients decide what values work for new projects in the past, and then used those values to form the materials we create for clients. Having a short and memorable set of values is a great way to give new teams a frame of reference for their work. We look forward to a value-driven future creating great partnerships and measuring even more values.

 

If you are interested in measuring your values or helping to define them, then please get in touch on info@theevaluator.co.uk or call 01756 532 538 to book an informal discussion.

If you like what you have read here, but are not yet ready for a discussion, you can keep in touch with us by joining our mailing list or connecting with Kirsty on Linked In.

The link for our mailing list can be found here.

The link for connecting with Kirsty on Linked In can be found here.

Successful Client: The £1.6 million Climate FORTH project gets the go ahead

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Earlier this year, The Evaluator worked with Climate FORTH (Furthering Our Resilience Through Heritage) on their application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, where we developed an evaluation framework for the whole project. They have just announced they were successful. That’s always a lovely day, sharing in the success of our clients.
The details are below:
A new £1.6million project in the Inner Forth has been granted just over £1million by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to boost the area’s climate resilience through the promotion and enhancement of local heritage.
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Climate FORTH is the latest project from Inner Forth Futures, a landscape-scale partnership which has been operating across the coastal areas of Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Falkirk and Fife since 2012. Since the partnership’s inception, it has delivered both the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI) and Wanderings and Windings projects, enhancing and celebrating the local area’s heritage while improving access through a series of waymarked walking and cycling trails.

The new Climate FORTH project will build on these successes by piloting methods of increasing resilience to climate and other changes in the local area’s natural and built heritage, and in its most at-risk communities.

The River Forth at Kinneil Lagoons_Falkirk_Chloe Wells_RSPB.jpg
The project will soon begin work on the delivery of several new initiatives, including green skill training for young people and community groups, enhancement of sustainable travel options around the local area, and capital works at four locations across the project area. The works will improve the climate resilience of greenspaces at Glendevon Drive in Stirling and Rannoch Park in Falkirk, as well as an important community building, Cochrane Hall in Alva, Clackmannanshire and the Gardener’s Cottage ruin at Valleyfield Estate in Fife.
One of the first activities to get underway will be a rebranding of sections of the National Cycle Network which pass through the Inner Forth. Supported by Sustrans, this work will encourage more people to make use of the network and help establish the landscape as a destination for sustainable tourism.
A key aim of Climate FORTH is to pilot new techniques that can be shared with other initiatives and policymakers to inspire further action. The pioneering work of the project will be closely monitored so the knowledge obtained can support Scotland’s aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2045 and help communities move towards a just transition.
Four communities in particular have been identified as being key to the project’s goals, with members playing an active role in decisions involving their local area through the co-design of local resilience plans. They are Hawkhill in Clackmannanshire, Fallin in Stirling, Bainsford & Langlees in Falkirk and Kincardine in Fife.
Climate FORTH Project Manager, Kate Fuller, said, “We’re delighted to have been awarded this Heritage Fund support that will allow us to show how the diverse natural and cultural assets of the Inner Forth can be adapted to tackle the threats of climate change. We’ve seen through our previous work just how special this part of Scotland is. Thanks to National Lottery players, Climate FORTH will enable us to re-invigorate our work with the amazing communities that live here and support them to lead by example as Scotland moves towards achieving net-zero.”
Dave Beaumont, Operations Director for RSPB Scotland said, “We are in a nature and climate emergency and the only way we can meet this challenge is by facing it together. Estuaries such as the Forth are where we are seeing impacts from climate change right now – as sea levels rise, storm intensities increase and rivers flowing into our seas are carrying floodwaters much more frequently. The communities and the incredible wildlife found in and around our estuaries are more fragile than ever and this project will continue our efforts to make them more resilient to the changes ahead.”
Cosmo Blake, Network Engagement Manager for Sustrans Scotland, said, “We are delighted to work with Inner Forth Futures to create a new brand identity and better signage along sections of The National Cycle Network. As well as creating a new brand identity, we are also developing eight new day trips with maps, directional signage and additional bike parking and maintenance stations at local heritage sites and transport hubs. We hope this will encourage more people to walk, wheel and cycle and make sustainable choices when visiting the Inner Forth.”
Heather Macnaughton, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Historic Environment Scotland said, “This funding will build on the exciting work our partnership has already undertaken in the area to help protect this heritage rich estuary from the impact of climate change. Working with the local community, Climate FORTH will shine a light on the area’s natural and built heritage and the important part it can play in improving climate resilience and biodiversity. By working closely with our partners and communities, Historic Environment Scotland looks forward to developing solutions for future resilience and moving together towards a just transition.”
Caroline Clark, Director for Scotland, The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “This is such an important project for our times – Climate FORTH will enable communities to take the lead in developing their own local responses to the challenges of climate change and Net Zero. What makes this project even more significant is that it will then create templates that can be adapted for use by other communities across Scotland and beyond.”
Inner Forth Futures is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Clackmannanshire Council, Falkirk Council, Fife Council, Green Action Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, Stirling Council and Sustrans. Climate FORTH is partly funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional funding from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, the Crown Estate, IFF members and the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland’s Network Engagement Programme. The project will be running from August 2023 – July 2026.
For more information, visit innerforthlandscape.co.uk.

Site Visit: Wilder Walkmill

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The Evaluator is delighted to be working with a new client, West Cumbria Rivers Trust to develop and write an evaluation framework for the nature site, and former colliery, Walkmill in Cumbria.

The site is currently used a lot by dog walkers and nature lovers, and has some quite unusual wildlife include rare dragonflies and adders. It is the site of a former colliery and we are excited to figure out how to link the industrial heritage into our evaluation plans. You can see more about West Cumbria Rivers Trust at their website here. 

We started this project with a site visit to chat to the main project team, and meet the consultants working on heritage interpretation, Minerva Heritage. We quickly found out we both are very keen on working WITH people, rather than FOR people and are looking forward to getting to know more about interpretation. You can see more about Minerva Heritage at their website here. 

It just happened to be a gloriously sunny day, what a wonderful way to start a project!

Image of site, Walkmill in Cumbria.