Evaluation of Fair Start Scotland Employability Service Extension Period (April 2021 - March 2023)

Tender description

The Scottish Government (Employability Division and Office of the Chief Economic Adviser) wishes to commission primary research activity as part of an ongoing evaluation of the process and outcomes from the devolved Scottish employability service Fair Start Scotland (FSS). The aim of this research commission is to contribute to the Scottish Government's understanding of the effectiveness of Fair Start Scotland via a robust, independent evaluation of the delivery process and outcomes for participants of Fair Start Scotland across Scotland during the FSS extension period (April 2021 – March 2023). All findings will enhance current understanding of what works in employment support for individuals and to the continuous improvement of policy and service delivery. Findings will also be used to help inform next steps regarding the provision of employability support in Scotland, particularly in relation to No One Left Behind approach. This commission will focus on fieldwork directed at gathering the views and experiences of FSS participants primarily. In particular, the views of individuals who face multiple and complex barriers and are therefore known to be further from the labour market as well as parents and those from families at highest risk of being affected by child poverty as defined by ‘priority family groups’. It is anticipated that the research will comprise two broad elements: - Element 1: a large scale telephone survey of participants, and - Element 2: a programme of qualitative work with individual participants.