Approach

Here we set out in brief:

  • How we tried to achieve: our Aims
  • How we did this: our Methodology
  • How we ensured wider impact: Stakeholder Engagement

Project Aims

  1. To develop and test out in practice approaches to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of personal outcomes data and use of this information for decision making within organisations.
  2. To capture emergent good practice in the analysis and use of personal outcomes information and disseminate this widely to practice, policy and academic audiences.
  3. To explore the practical, epistemological and political tensions inherent in this work and capture evidence as to the benefits and limitations of different approaches.

Methodology

The project adopted a collaborative approach to developing and trying out new approaches to analysing and using personal outcomes information in practice, and to sharing findings between project partners and more widely. The project drew on the ideas and underpinning principles of both Action Research (Sharp, 2005) and dialogical approaches to Knowledge Exchange (Nutley et al, 2007).

The project facilitated each of the practice partners to engage in a process of action research within their organisation.

To ensure effective collaboration between practice partners,  3 intensive 2-day ‘Data Retreats’ were held. The data retreats were the primary mechanism whereby project partners shared and reflected on learning and worked together to build an evidence base as to what works when and for whom.

Prior to the ESRC project we held a data retreat in March 2012.  One of the key decisions at this retreat was to apply for research funding, resulting in the Meaningful and Measurable project.

Data Retreat Report.APR2012 (MS Word)

The reports from the 3 retreats held between January and December 2014 are provided below:

Data Retreat 1.Report.Jan14.FINAL (PDF)

Project Update.JUL14 (PDF)

Project Update.OCT14.FINAL (PDF)

Each data retreat was then followed by a Knowledge Exchange Event to ensure effective dialogue with a broader constituency of practitioners and other potential users of the research findings. The reports are provided below:

KE Event 1.Report.Feb14.FINAL

Stakeholder Engagement and Wider Dissemination

Central to the success of this project was the establishment of effective mechanisms for knowledge exchange with a wider network of national policy and practice stakeholders. The project engaged with national stakeholder partners on 3 occasions.