External Evaluation Procurement

Uniting Communities External Evaluation Procurement

Introduction

HALE and partners are procuring an external evaluator for the Uniting Communities project. The evaluator will be responsible for assessing the projects effectiveness, impact and overall success.

To strengthen our ability to evidence the importance and impact of our Uniting Communities Project, particular to those who make key decisions about how district wide funding is allocated and used to reduce health inequalities, we have allocated a £10,000 evaluation budget.

Background of Project

The Uniting Communities project is a collaborative piece of work between three community focused centres, The HALE Project (serving BD2, BD9, BD10, BD17 and BD18), Café West (serving BD9, BD15 and BD16), and Community Works, registered as Otley Road & Undercliffe Community Works (serving BD1, BD2, BD3). This project is National Lottery funded, delivery commenced on 1^st September 2024 and will run for 5 years closing on 31^st August 2029.

Uniting Communities aims to increase all aspects of wellbeing and increase resilience in local people and to create happy, healthy, well connected and thriving communities, with a focus on those aged 40+.

By preventing or reversing the impact of loneliness and isolation we are reducing the associated risks that cause long term ill health and early mortality such as heart disease, depression and body deconditioning (which leads to falls).

Ultimately, we are improving life outcomes of our population.

We aim that our project team (project co-ordinator, 3 x connect workers), along with up to 190 recruited, trained and supported peer mentors (who will provide one to one buddy support) or volunteers (who will support the delivery of groups and activities), will engage over 700 individuals. The project team will engage with local communities to identify need and set up new groups, they will also signpost clients to existing support in the community and develop what’s on guides.

An external evaluator is needed to assess performance, calculate that the project is meeting targets and to show that the project is making a difference to individuals within our communities. Our Uniting Communities Project is based on what people have told us they need and would like to see happen, but also what we can see is needed.

Objectives of the Evaluation

The successful external evaluator will be expected to:

• Assess the projects impact against the stated objectives
• Analyse the efficiency of the project, the use of resources and value for money
• Identify strengths and weaknesses
• Assess the impact of the collaboration of 3 partners on this project
• Provide recommendations for similar future projects

The evaluation will be both quantitative and qualitative, using case studies and personal experiences as well as the analysis of numerical data. This will involve the use of data already recorded by HALE, alongside additional data collected using tools designed by the evaluator. The evaluation will also be both formative and summative, assessing during the course of delivery and evaluating after completion.

Scope of Work & Budget

The successful external evaluator will:

• Engage with the project co-ordinator and connect workers to understand the goals and expectations of the project and evaluation process
• Develop an evaluation framework with clear criteria, data collection tools and methodologies
• Conduct data collection using both quantitative and qualitative methods
• Provide an in-depth analysis of the data collected
• Produce a comprehensive evaluation report comprising findings, conclusions and recommendations

There has been £10,000 allocated within the budget to appoint an external evaluation process. The budget for this will cover job role costs (time and expertise of the evaluator), any necessary travel or data collection expenses and administration costs related to the reporting of evidence.

Procurement Process

The deadline for the proposal return is 17:00 Friday 19^th September 2025 and it should be submitted as a Word/PDF document via email and addressed to info@haleproject.org.uk.

Shortlisting will be finalised for 23^rd September 2025 with interviews being held over the following two weeks either in person or via Teams online.

Reporting and Deliverables

The external evaluator will:

• Complete an original report outlining the evaluation framework and methodologies
• Produce a yearly report, an update on the data collected each year and recommendations for the next year
• Complete a comprehensive final report when the project finishes in August 2029, showing findings, conclusions and future recommendations