Research, Impact and Learning Framework

For all types of literature and evidence reviews, ETF will seek to co-design a clear set of research questions with our evaluation and learning supplier(s). The aims and objectives of any literature and/or evidence review will be to explore an area of interest to ETF, our members, and the wider research community. The reviews will be used to inform either our thought leadership and influencing activities or inform the future development of our CPD programme offer and its design. The required output will be of publishable standard and an agreed publication and dissemination approach will be agreed as part of the project initiation process. For all ETF research and evaluation projects, we require suppliers to undertake a rapid evidence review. This normally involves reviewing relevant ETF documents and data, identifying a range of key literature (both published and grey literature) and undertaking a data mapping exercise to help ETF identify what is already known and understood about the topic/ subject area under investigation, before embarking on ETF’s research and evaluation activity. Where appropriate, ETF and the research/ evaluation supplier, will agree in advance whether the evidence review will be published separately from the final report. Additional information: This Framework aims to create a list of quality research and evaluation suppliers that ETF can call upon to support the design and delivery of different projects. The Framework Agreement will allow call-off contracts, awarded by mini-competition or direct award where appropriate, to be awarded for any projects that arise throughout the term of the Framework.

ETF aims to undertake primary research to help better understand the needs and challenges faced by the FE sector and its learners, and how - as a professional membership body – ETF can best support the sector. ETF also aims to develop evidence-based responses to policy and ensure that our workforce development programmes, and our SET membership offer, are responsive to the current and future needs and trends of the FE sector. We are also committed to developing an evidence base in areas that have not yet received much attention and are important to our members and their learners. ETF seeks to undertake secondary research in areas of FE that our members and Trustee’s prioritise, or in areas that are helpful in advancing our organisational strategy and providing new insights that inform and/or benefit the sector and its learners. For example, this might involve analysing existing primary data sources to help identify trends and differentials in FE sector funding, operations, performance, efficiency, effectiveness, and outcomes. Suppliers will be required to be familiar with government and publicly available quantitative datasets (e.g. Ofsted reports) and be aware of other potential sources of primary data which could be utilised more effectively to address some of ETF’s unanswered research questions. Additional information: This Framework aims to create a list of quality research and evaluation suppliers that ETF can call upon to support the design and delivery of different projects. The Framework Agreement will allow call-off contracts, awarded by mini-competition or direct award where appropriate, to be awarded for any projects that arise throughout the term of the Framework.

The ETF is committed to demonstrating the impact of its CPD programmes and continuing to improve its impact practice. ETF has begun work on developing an organisational level theory of change (due to complete Autumn 2023) and we have introduced programme level theories of change across our portfolio of activities. These inform both our programme design, delivery and evaluation and have been co-designed with ETF staff, our delivery partners, stakeholder representatives and, where applicable, our funder(s). From April 2023-24, ETF will be using these programme theories of change to develop and introduce a systematic and consistent monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) framework for all programme activity and professional membership activities. With the help and support of highly experienced and trusted evaluation and learning partners, our ambitions for the future are to co-design, with our FE sector partners and members, an impact evaluation approach that will enable us to evidence both our contribution and our attribution to achieving ETF’s intended long term outcomes and impact goals. Additional information: This Framework aims to create a list of quality research and evaluation suppliers that ETF can call upon to support the design and delivery of different projects. The Framework Agreement will allow call-off contracts, awarded by mini-competition or direct award where appropriate, to be awarded for any projects that arise throughout the term of the Framework.

ETF aims to review and update our approach to measuring our organsiational social value, which will support the delivery of our new corporate strategy and our organisational theory of change (due summer and autumn respectively). Aligning with the Government’s Social Value Model, ETF is committed to delivering true Social Value (SV) through both our delivery approach and wider organisational activities. ETF also plays a unique role in providing support and advice to the wider FE sector on how measure and improve their social value (for example, providing a social value toolkit for FE providers who participated in our previous DfE funded Taking Teaching Further programme 2022-23). ETF seeks services from suppliers to: - co-design an organisational social value measurement and reporting approach, that can be embedded as part of our new and developing MEL approach. - co-design a set of standard social value tools and supporting resources for FE sector providers that can be utilised across our CPD and Professionalism portfolio. - Recommend potential approaches and/ or activities that ETF could consider using to drive improvements in social value at both a corporate and sector (system) level. Additional information: This Framework aims to create a list of quality research and evaluation suppliers that ETF can call upon to support the design and delivery of different projects. The Framework Agreement will allow call-off contracts, awarded by mini-competition or direct award where appropriate, to be awarded for any projects that arise throughout the term of the Framework.