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CHAPTER ONE ABOUT THIS STUDY

Introduction

1.1 This section describes the background to, and objectives of, this study, and describes the work carried out as part of it.

Background to the Study

1.2 The former Scottish Executive, through Communities Scotland, committed itself to extending and strengthening the role of the social economy in delivering better public services.

1.3 Futurebuilders was introduced as a significant programme of investment and support for social economy organisations that were working to:

• achieve the Executive's 'Closing the Opportunity Gap' objectives;
• deliver more or better public services; and
• increase their financial sustainability.

1.4 Launched in December 2004, and now fully committed, the Futurebuilders Scotland funding programme was made up of:

• an Investment Fund of £12m to invest in the development of organisations with a proven track record in delivering public services;
• a Seedcorn Fund of £4m to enable smaller social economy organisations to expand their trading potential;
• a Social Entrepreneurs' Fund of £392,500 to encourage a flow of social entrepreneurs and start-up social enterprises into the sector;
• a Learning Fund of £1m to encourage entrepreneurial talent and leadership skills in the social economy ; and
• a Support Programme of £1m to strengthen support for the sector and help it to access new skills and markets.

1.5 The Programme was managed by the former Social Economy Unit ¹, and delivered with support from Communities Scotland's Community Regeneration Teams and other external delivery partners.

The Evaluation

1.6 This study set out to provide an independent evaluation of Futurebuilders Scotland, examine its fit with and contribution to the current policy landscape, and identify future support requirements, in light of learning.

1.7 This report is based on the findings of a 16-month evaluation that included:

• an Interim Evaluation, which examined the Futurebuilders funding model and its performance up to October 2006; and
• a Final Evaluation, which has explored the impact of the funding programme up to August 2007, and the implications arising.

1.8 It should be noted that a number of assisted projects were still ongoing at the point of the final evaluation.

Study Method

1.9 A comprehensive evaluation process has included a number of main elements.

Desk-based Research

1.10 A review of documentation and data was initially undertaken and later updated. This included a review of:

• relevant contextual documentation to position the Programme within wider regeneration, enterprise, and public service reform policy;
• Programme documentation to develop a detailed understanding of the mechanics of each distinct Fund;
• materials on the structure, progress and experience of comparable funding programmes operating throughout the UK; and
• project-level approval and expenditure data to establish the scope, scale and cost of activity brought forward under the Programme.

Stakeholder Consultation

1.11 The evaluation team provided key stakeholders, individually and collectively, with the opportunity to reflect on and share their experiences of the Programme at various stages in the study process.

1.12 At the Interim Stage, this included interviews to examine emerging progress and issues, with:

• six key staff within the Social Economy Unit;
• seven representatives from Communities Scotland Area Offices; and
• 16 policy makers, agency partners, and intermediary bodies (many of which were consulted again on closure of the Programme).

1.13 These were supplemented by three workshops involving: Social Economy Unit staff (six participants); Area Network staff (10 participants); and representatives from a variety of support organisations (12 participants).

1.14 As part of the Final Evaluation, the consultants also conducted telephone interviews with 24 service purchasers to examine: awareness of Futurebuilders, its projects, and support products; the barriers to doing business with the social economy; and the potential to encourage further buying from the sector.

Beneficiary Research

Interviews with Unsuccessful Applicants

1.15 A set of short telephone interviews was conducted with unsuccessful applicants as part of the Interim Evaluation. These focused on the process of applying to Futurebuilders and any subsequent progress after making an unsuccessful application. In total, 32 interviews were carried out, which represents a sample of 5-6% of unsuccessful applicants across the three Communities Scotland administered Futurebuilders Funds.

Surveys of Beneficiary Organisations

1.16 Self-completion postal surveys were administered to grant beneficiaries at the Interim and Final stages of the evaluation. These provided beneficiaries with the opportunity to provide information on the process of securing and using funds, and to report on the activities and outcomes arising. The response rates for each separate survey are outlined in Table 1.1, below.

Table 1.1: Futurebuilders Surveys: Response Rates

Workshops with Beneficiaries

1.17 Additional evaluation workshops were held during the Interim Evaluation. These gathered the views of assisted organisations on the perceived performance of the Programme and any opportunities they could indentify to strengthen it. Two workshops took place at a centrally located venue (Perth), involving: Investment Fund beneficiaries (seven participants); and Seedcorn Fund beneficiaries (eight participants).

Project Case Studies

1.18 To gain a more in-depth understanding of individual project experiences and impacts, a programme of case study research was undertaken. Based on a review of available project documentation and one-to-one interviews with project representatives at various points, 15 case studies were examined: seven Seedcorn Fund projects; five Investment Fund projects; and three Learning Fund projects. The sample of case study projects were selected to represent a cross section of projects by type and location.

Support Programme Review

1.19 A tailored approach was adopted to reflect the diversity of Support Programme activity. Project documentation and data were reviewed for each separate component, and representatives tasked with delivering projects were interviewed. In addition, targeted research was conducted into:

• business support for the social economy - a focus group (seven people) was facilitated with representatives from Business Gateway;
• the national Guides - online surveys were administered to gather feedback from users of the three main Guides:
  • Tendering for Public Contracts - 45 responses;
  • Social Added Value - 25 responses;
  • Better Value (for Purchasers) - 9 responses; and
• Local Social Economy Partnerships ( LSEPs) - an e-mail survey gathered the views of 54 LSEP members.

Feedback Loops

1.20 An online feedback website was set up during the Interim Evaluation in order to remain as open as possible to the feedback from other Programme stakeholders. This resulted in written feedback from 15 individuals, with a further four written submissions provided direct to the evaluation team.

1.21 Feedback/Development Workshops were also held with programme partners and sector intermediaries. These sought to provide the opportunity to validate and extend on findings and issues arising.

Structure of the Report

1.22 The remainder of the study is structured as follows:

Section 2 discusses the origins of Futurebuilders, its design, and its fit within the wider policy environment;

Section 3 reviews the arrangements for allocating and managing Futurebuilders' funds, and the lessons arising;

Section 4 outlines how the Futurebuilders' funding was invested and the various activities that it initiated;

Section 5 examines the outcomes and impacts arising from various components of the Futurebuilders Programme;

Section 6 explores the extent to which Futurebuilders is reported to have met the expectations of various stakeholder groups;

Section 7 discusses current thinking regarding investment in the social economy and lessons from experience throughout the UK; and

Section 8 draws together the main findings of the evaluation and outlines the implications for future investment in the social economy.

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