Evaluation of the Governance Hub Learning

Programme and Partnership Framework

Executive Summary
Introduction
This evaluation, of a range of activities
undertaken in 2006/2007 as part of the Methodology
Governance Hub’s Project Partnership
Framework and Pilot Learning A sample of projects
Programme, was carried out by Kath representing the full spectrum of
Gordon and Terry Wolf between activity was selected for
January – April 2007. analysis.

The Pilot Learning Programme Data was gathered from the

consisted of a wide range of activities following sources:
including both one off workshops and
• Discussion with key Hub staff
longer learning programmes. These
covered introductions to the Code of
• Desk research including
Governance, the Governance
project evaluation reports
Standards [NOS] and trustee
recruitment. The pilot learning • Telephone interviews with
programmes were diverse, exploring project co-ordinators and
different ways of encouraging take-up other stakeholders using
by voluntary and community groups of structured topic guides
the tools and materials produced by the
Governance Hub. The Project • Feedback from trustees
Partnership Framework used for participating in some of the
commissioning and managing this programmes sampled
programme was designed specifically
for this task.

The evaluation identifies the issues arising out of the learning activities and
the Project Partnership Framework itself, using a thematic analysis of both
cross-cutting and learning strand specific themes. It is qualitative rather than
quantitative, due in part to the nature of the available data, but also to the
need to draw out as much learning as possible from the pilot projects.
Project Partnership Framework
The Governance Hub’s initial tendering procedure for activities to meet their
business objectives did not produce the response needed, with very few
tenders received from voluntary organisations. To address this issue the Hub
designed the Project Partnership Framework which enabled them to contract
with sector organisations for relatively small scale projects.

Feedback from project partners about their experience of working with the
Governance Hub through the framework was very positive.

‘The Hub has been The evaluation has identified some minor issues
very effective in relating to communication and the speed with
being responsive to which things had to be completed, but overall
local approaches. partners felt that the processes for commissioning,
The relationship has monitoring and evaluation worked very well. Hub
been a model of staff were described as friendly and supportive,
good practice.’ and partners felt that the projects represented
good value for the money and time spent.

There were a number of unexpected benefits for project partners, which

demonstrated how effective the Project
Partnership Framework has been in ‘An added benefit has
beginning the process of embedding the been that as we did
Governance Hub’s messages and support the work ourselves on
tools into the work of voluntary and producing the pack
community groups. [for small voluntary
organisations] we
have been able to
Pilot Learning Programme integrate it into all of
Different learning methods were tested out in our CVS work and that
the programme. These included one-off of other CVS in the
workshops, different methods of district’.
implementing the Governance Code or
Standards within individual organisations, projects that adapted or added to
the materials to appeal to specific sub-sectors, ways of enhancing recruitment
of trustees, development of trustee networks and Action Learning sets and
development of an e-learning programme for trustees.

There were many successes amongst the projects sampled, but also a few
examples of approaches that didn’t work quite so well:

• The workshop programmes proved popular, providing useful tasters for

trustees and their organisations of what the tools produced by the
Governance Hub can offer them and building the basis for further work at a
local level.

• Several of the projects sampled demonstrated that materials produced by

the Governance Hub, such as the Code of Governance, can be
successfully adapted to meet the needs of particular organisations or
trustees. This includes for example, young people, black and minority
ethnic groups, and smaller organisations.
• There are a range of different ways in which the Governance Tools can
help individual organisations and their trustees improve the quality of
governance. All of those projects sampled within this activity stream
commented that in depth work with the Code of Governance and the
Governance Standards required at least some external advice or support to
make the process really work.

• The recruitment projects tested out different ways of attracting new people
into trusteeship, demonstrating that the interest is there if organisations
think creatively and provide some support for new trustees.

• Trustee networks are a popular idea, but The report highlights

difficult to get up and running in practice. They the strengths and
seemed to work best when developed as part of limitations of each
a package of activities including workshops, type of activity,
conferences or on-going recruitment and identifies what
induction activity. partners might do
differently in future,
• Action Learning Sets provided a quite different outlines other key
means of offering individual trustees feedback and offers
opportunities for developing their knowledge brief snapshots of
and skills. The process required a high degree how particular
of commitment from participants, but for some it projects went about
opened up unexpected avenues for learning their tasks.
and development.

• The e-learning programme has already attracted more than 300 learners
and has received very good feedback from trustees using it.

Learning points
The report concludes with some key learning for future work relating to:

• continuation of the Project Partnership Framework - The success of

the Partnership Framework in terms of raising the profile of the Hub, in
enabling the Hub to build on sector expertise and in enabling the Hub to
reach organisations often missed by a ‘one size fits all’ approach suggests
that the Framework should be the basis for contracting future activity.

• the need to work closely with

‘There are a lot of
written materials out
there sitting on shelves
and not being used
because groups have
not had them explained
to them.’
infrastructure organisations – There was
an overwhelming view that the Hub needs
to involve infrastructure organisations in
any future work to promote use of the tools
and materials devised. Infrastructure
organisations are well placed to do this,
with good links with frontline organisations,
but will need help and support to undertake
additional work on governance.
• the importance of the promotional strategy – The wide range of
materials produced both by the Hub and other organisations have been
welcomed by voluntary organisations, but they would clearly benefit from a
broad based promotional strategy. A particular need expressed is for some
kind of ‘map’ of what is available to help organisations and their advisers to
find the tool most appropriate for their needs.

• recognition that there is no single learning method that meets the

needs of trustees – Voluntary and community organisations are all at
different stages of development and there is also an extremely wide
variation in the knowledge and experience of individual trustees. Thus it is
very important that a range of learning methods continue to be supported in
order to reach the greatest numbers of individuals or organisations.

Conclusion
The evaluation examined the activities undertaken through the Project
Partnership Framework and the Pilot Learning Programme. The success of
this activity and the way in which it was commissioned and managed has
helped the Governance Hub to raise the profile of governance issues and its
own role. This report suggests that this important work is in its very early
stages and needs to be continued in order to reach a much wider audience
and to embed the learning into the voluntary and community sector. It is still
too soon to assess what impact the pilot learning activity has had, but it is
anticipated that this will become more evident over the next few years.

For further information about the work of the

Governance Hub or a copy of the full report,
please visit www.governancehub.org.uk
Governance Hub Contact Details
c/o NCVO, Regent’s Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL
E-mail: governance.hub@ncvo-vol.org.uk
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