Evaluating Products and Initiatives

Reliable evidence to aid decision-making

Meeting your objectives

Systematic and objective evaluation of new measures and initiatives is essential to establish the extent to which they have succeeded or will succeed, how they could be improved and what learning opportunities they offer for the future. In some environments, like the public sector, evaluation is often a requirement and is critical in deciding whether a project is to be continued or expanded, or if mainstream funding is to continue.

In practice, there are many different types of evaluation. It is important to clarify objectives, and to design and implement a well-constructed evaluation, otherwise a poor piece of work will result.

Perpetuity can help you to ensure that your evaluation meets the specific requirements of your project, provides reliable data and makes pragmatic recommendations. We can act as consultants to your own evaluation or conduct the work for you.

Ways we can help

Our consultants are regularly asked to participate in evaluations relating to crime reduction and community safety initiatives. These may take place at the beginning, during key points, or at the end of a project. In terms of products we can help you to:

· Understand the needs of customers and potential customers

· Identifying the target market

· Focus on effectiveness, does it work?

· Determine whether customers will find it cost effective

· Whether the user requirements are realistic (user-friendliness)

· Analyse its impact to see whether it can be improved

· Provide independent evidence of its value that can be used in marketing and product positioning (see below)

In terms of schemes or initiatives we can help you to:

Assess the need for and/or feasibility of a particular project
Analyse the effectiveness of design and implementation, allowing improvements to be made to a project as it progresses
Provide a measure of success against objectives
Establish whether it has been cost-effective and resources have been used properly
Inform the decision-making process in relation to enhancing the project to include new or innovative measures or rolling it out to other areas
Provide the evidence needed to encourage ongoing investment or additional funding
Promote your work and enhance its credibility
Develop transferable lessons that can be used to guide practice elsewhere.

The Perpetuity promise

Our research and consultancy staff have considerable expertise in designing and conducting evaluations using both conventional and innovative approaches, and working within a variety of budgets and demanding time-frames.

Clients benefit from our team’s excellent academic credentials, bringing rigorous research methodologies to their approach, coupled with a broad range of practical experience.