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Evaluator’s Perspective
In conclusion, the following points should be mentioned from the perspective of the
national evaluation of the Children’s Fund activities in Great Britain which necessitate a
critical evaluation of the outcome of the Children’s Fund programme:
Aspects of data basis:
− The confidence in existing administrative and local data is not always justified.
This is understandable as decisions regarding national financial contributions
are made on the basis of local information.
− It is imperative to combine a wide range of data resources; these resources are
influenced through the preferences and priorities of the users, providers and
local policy-makers.
− The involvement of the providers enables the selection of specific risk groups
and the comprehension of particular interests
− The available compendium of data concerning current financial contributions
highlights the differences and deficits of these contributions and therefore
provides a basis for new financial budgeting.
Aspects of “Commissioning” (awarding of contracts/bidding process):
The process of awarding contracts through bidding invitations deviates from traditional
methods concerning the local organisation of social services.
This can be described as a process “from targeting to commissioning”: here there is
direct access to the service providers and the suppliers of social services which are
considered necessary.
Generally, local authorities have undertaken a wide variety of different approaches.
In certain districts, institutions and suppliers of services were directly contacted and
commissioned within the framework of the LSP without any form of competitive process,
whereas others utilised a competitive process for the allocation of services. To a certain
extent, these processes were initially utilised in order to develop the strategies themselves.
This wide variety displays the flexibility of local decision-makers acting within the
framework of the Children’s Fund’s transversal strategy. On the other hand, processes
could be observed which were contrary to the aims of the Children’s Fund.
Basically, commissioning is about who can offer the best concepts (in some cases in
competition with other service providers) for the solution of problems and not who is the
most qualified to solve the problem. For example, responsibilities can be transferred to
thematically oriented “commissioning groups”. This is expected to result in the
development of clear and strict criteria which will also facilitate the evaluation of the results
and thereby provide a better basis for further strategic concepts.
Strategic action on a local level
It became clear that the strategic requirements and approaches targeted by the Children’s
Fund in the combating of problems encountered by children and young people were not
always followed through to their conclusion. This became obvious in the case of specific
target groups. In the wide-spread existing problems concerning so-called “travellers” it was
observed that it was not possible to involve all local authorities in the processes; it was
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