« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
1. Introduction
Introduction
1.1 In the Autumn of 2006 GEN Consulting was commissioned by the Scottish Executive to undertake an Interim Evaluation of the Executive's Cities Growth Fund ( CGF). This is the Final Report of this evaluation.
Study Objectives
1.2 The brief for the study set out a number of clear objectives, namely to:-
- Evaluate the extent to which each of the City Visions had been implemented;
- Gauge the level of extra public/private investment that has resulted from investment in CGF projects;
- Assess the impact that CGF projects have had on the Scottish Executive's cross cutting themes;
- Assess the extent to which CGF projects have resulted in additional outcomes; and
- Examine whether the CGF has had a positive impact on long term planning or encouraged more effective partnership working.
Report Structure
1.3 The report is structured as follows:-
- Chapter 2 outlines the background to the CGF and examines the developments of the City Visions
- Chapter 3 provides an overview of the implementation of the City Visions and the associated CGF projects and presents our main findings in relation to: leverage; contribution to cross cutting themes; additionality; and the contribution to long term planning and partnership working. The Chapter ends by looking at some examples of good practices;
- Chapter 4 draws some conclusions and looks at the way forward; and
- Six appendices give detailed case studies for each of the 6 cities. This is the "raw" material on which the overview presented in Chapters 2 and 3 is based. A seventh appendix looks at leverage in comparator projects.
Methodology
1.4 The methodology used has 2 main elements:-
- A desk review of material on CGF, drawing upon: the initial City Vision documents; Investment Plans; the annual reports produced by each city; the three year reports produced in 2006; and any supplementary information (in the form of individual project assessments or evaluations) ; and
- Interviews with the key players involved in the CGF in each of the cities and in the Scottish Executive. In each city the main CGF contacts were interviewed. They were then asked for the names of others who had been involved in developing the vision, the projects or their implementation. In total there were 24 interviewees spread across the 6 cities.
« Previous | Contents | Next »