Research services

Tender description

The Welsh Government wishes to commission the evaluation of 5 employment and skills programmes, which are in receipt of funding from the current European Social Fund. The 5 evaluations are: Evaluation of ReAct 2015-2018; Evaluation of Jobs Growth Wales 2015-2018; Evaluation of Progress for Success 2016-2018; Evaluation of Traineeships 2015-2018; Evaluation of Apprenticeships 2015-2018; Bidders are welcome to bid for one or more of these contracts. The aim of each evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the ESF funded operations. Both formative and summative evaluation work is required. All evaluations must comply with the Welsh European Funding Office evaluation guidance and requirements. Traineeships support young people aged 16-18 who are not in employment, education or training to gain confidence and motivation, and improve work-ready skills. The programme is intended to aid a young person's transition into employment or further learning through the delivery of generic or soft skills, NVQ vocational training and qualifications in their chosen occupational area, as well as valuable work experience and, where appropriate, Essential Skills Wales qualifications. 1 of the aims of the traineeship programme is to reduce youth unemployment in Wales. In 2015 the Welsh Government secured ESF funding to support the delivery of its Traineeship Programme across Wales. ESF funding has been awarded under Specific Objective 1 (to reduce unemployment and the number of 16-24 year olds who are not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)) in Priority Axis 3 (Youth Employment). The Programme has a budget of just over 89 000 000 GBP over 4 years and involves the delivery of Traineeships across West Wales and the Valleys and East Wales. The Welsh Government wishes to commission an evaluation of the current Traineeship Programme for the period of January 2015 to March 2018. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the programme. The evaluation will focus on the performance and impact of the programme, with some review of the programme design and delivery processes. Both formative and summative evaluation work is required. The evaluation will need to comply with WEFO evaluation guidance and requirements. Apprenticeships provide young people and the existing workforce with technical skills, knowledge, on-the-job training and a route to employment and have become a key part of the education and skills system in Wales. In 2015 the Welsh Government secured ESF funding for 4 operations to support the delivery of its Apprenticeship Programme across Wales for the period of January 2015 to March 2019. The funding has been awarded under Priority Axis 2 (Skills for Growth). The current programme budget for apprenticeships is over 284 000 000 GBP over the 4 years period of 2015-2019. Over this funding period, Welsh Government has a target of 97 284 participants taking part in the Apprenticeship Programme across West Wales and the Valleys (55 612) and East Wales (41 672). The Welsh Government wishes to commission an evaluation of the current Apprenticeship Programme for the period of January 2015 to March 2018. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the programme. The evaluation will focus on the performance and impact of the programme, with some review of the programme design and delivery processes. Both formative and summative evaluation work is required. The evaluation will need to comply with WEFO evaluation guidance and requirements. Progress for Success (PfS) proposes to fund existing workers to undertake recognised childcare and play qualifications to increase their skills levels. The end goal being to raise the quality of provision offered to our youngest children, as evidence suggests that a highly skilled workforce leads to better future educational outcomes for children, especially those subject to disadvantage. Those eligible are specifically existing employed practitioners within both the maintained (attached to schools) and non-maintained sectors (only those registered with the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) in non-maintained sector), including self employed registered childminders. Progress for Success has 2 distinct strands: Strand 1 is the main focus of the programme and proposes to fund existing practitioners, who currently hold no or low level recognised childcare and play qualifications to up-skill in recognised sector qualifications at Levels 2 and 3. This is being delivered with ESF funding in West Wales and the Valleys and East Wales. Strand 1 delivery commenced 1.8.2016 and will end October 2018; and Strand 2 of the operation proposes to fund a number of existing participants to obtain a qualification at Level 6. This strand is only being delivered with ESF funding in West Wales and the Valleys, fully Welsh Government funded in East Wales. Strand 2 will commence sometime in 2017 and will end in December 2021. PfS includes two distinct operations that are funded separately under the European Social Fund: European Social Fund West Wales and the Valleys (WWV) Operational Programme: WWV Priority Axis 3: Youth Employment and Attainment, Specific Objective 4 — To increase the skills of the Early Years and Childcare workforce East Wales (EW) Operation Programme. Respectively the programmes will deliver against and EW Priority Axis 2: Skills for Growth Specific Objective 1: To increase the skills levels, including work relevant skills, of those in the workforce with no or low skills. The current budget for PfS is 9 000 000 GBP and the target number of participants is 2 059. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the PfS operation for the period January 2015 to March 2018. Both formative and summative evaluation work is required. The evaluation will need to comply with WEFO evaluation guidance and requirements. The Welsh Government's ReAct III programme aims to address the needs of people who have been made redundant, or are under notice of redundancy, through a series of measures designed to remove barriers to obtaining new employment. The main aim of the programme is to respond quickly and positively to all redundancy situations through a series of measures designed to alleviate the negative effect of redundancy and provide all redundant individuals with the skills necessary to secure new, sustainable employment in the shortest time possible. ReAct is an all Wales programme, part funded by European Social Funds in West Wales and the Valleys (only) under Priority Axis 1: Tackling Poverty through Sustainable Employment and Specific Objective 1: To increase the employability of those closest to the labour market at most risk of poverty. The current budget for ReAct 2015-2018 in West Wales and the Valleys is 16 700 000 GBP. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the programme. This will help to inform future decision making around activities to increase the employability of those closest to the labour market and at most risk of poverty. Both formative and summative evaluation work is required. The evaluation will need to comply with WEFO evaluation guidance and requirements. JGW is aimed at unemployed young people aged 16-24, giving them valuable work experience for a 6 month period paid at or above National Minimum Wage between 25 and 40 hours per week. The operation targets 16-24 year olds who are registered unemployed but not on the DWP's Work Programme, who are work ready but have failed to secure employment as they lack work experience. JGW is part funded by European Social Funds, under the Youth Employment and Attainment Priority, Specific Objective 1: To reduce the number of 16-24 year olds who are Not in Employment Education or Training. It was given 3 year funding approval from April 2015 by the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO). The current budget for Jobs Growth Wales for delivery across Wales is 53 000 000 GBP and the target number of completed job opportunities is 9 000. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the 2015 - 2018 Jobs Growth Wales programme for the period June 2015 to March 2018. The focus of the evaluation will be on the performance and impact of the programme, with some review of the programme design and delivery processes. Both formative and summative evaluation work is required. The evaluation will need to comply with WEFO evaluation guidance and requirements.