Workways+ Evaluation Study

Tender description

Workways+ wished to commission a mid-term and final evaluation of two of its labour market interventions to support those who are economically inactive, short term or long term unemployed into employment, volunteering or training. Workways+ is a collaborative employability project established between five Local Authorities across South West Wales, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Welsh Government. The initial project, led by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (the ‘Lead’ / ‘Council’), commenced on 1st December 2015 and is due to end 31st December 2022. The lead works in collaboration with Carmarthenshire County Council, Ceredigion County Council, Pembrokeshire County Council and the City & County of Swansea (‘Collaborative Partners’). The second element of Workways+, supporting those who are short term unemployed, commenced 1st February 2020 and will continue until 31st August 2023. This element of Workways+ is delivered across four of the five local authority areas, namely Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The Council and its Collaborative Partners wished to appoint a specialist consultant to carry out a detailed evaluation, at both interim and final stages, with a focus on short term and longer term impacts of the project. In addition to a range of ongoing, internal quantitative and qualitative monitoring and evaluation, including ‘soft-outcome’ measurements, formal evaluation undertaken by an independent, external evaluator is a contract requirement.