Changemakers Programme

Implementation & process evaluation

Implementation & process evaluation of the Changemakers programme

Summary

This protocol summarises plans for evaluating the Changemakers programme in four local areas. It will explore how local evidence leadership can be operationalised and attend to local barriers and enablers to the effective implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Who, what, why and how?

Foundations has commissioned Cordis Bright to undertake this Implementation and Process Evaluation of the Changemakers Programme. Changemakers works with local area leaders to  address stubborn barriers to the adoption and sustainability of evidence-based interventions within complex local systems by strengthening evidence use, mobilising effective implementation strategies, and embedding evidence leadership.

There is established evidence that many evidence-based interventions can offer early intervention benefits in delivering positive long-term outcomes for babies, children, young people, and families. Changemakers aims to address gaps between what we know works, and the effective use of evidence and the implementation of interventions in place and over time. Changemakers deploys local evidence leaders in local areas alongside funding for selected evidence-based interventions. Local Evidence Leaders (LELs) can facilitate critical engagement with evidence, support the allocation of resources, and promote evidence use in local partnerships, attending to the relationships and connections that can support stakeholders to thoughtfully engage with and implement appropriate research evidence.

Cordis Bright will evaluate how Changemakers has influenced effective implementation and evidence use in local areas to help ensure that interventions are reaching the right families in the right way at the right time. This includes exploring what difference has been made through local evidence leaders championing evidence-based practice, strengthening partnerships to work strategically together and align goals, and leading discovery and tests of change.

Research Questions

The evaluation adopts Proctor et al.’s Implementation Outcomes Framework (2011) to understand how Local Evidence Leaders influence local systems, stakeholder engagement and evidence use behaviours. Research questions will respond to the exploratory nature of Changemakers as an innovative programme, taking a test-and-learn approach to further understand the ways in which Local Evidence Leaders can be influential in championing and facilitating evidence use and evidence-based decision making in local systems.

This will be achieved through a mixed-methods design that aims to capture the complexity of implementation of the Changemakers programme across diverse local authority contexts. Quantitative and qualitative methods will allow for a comprehensive understanding of the processes, outcomes and impacts associated with the programme.

Research questions are organised under four themes:

  1. Programme theory validation: To what extent is Changemakers’ Theory of Change rooted in evidence?
  2. Implementation feasibility: To what extent has Changemakers deployment followed the dimensions of implementation: adoption; fidelity and adaptation; acceptance, appropriateness and feasibility; Penetration and integration; and cost and sustainability.
  3. Programme differentiation: Does Changemakers work differently in certain conditions?
  4. Perceived impacts: To what extent does Changemakers show evidence of promise – and why?

Delivery Partners

Four Local Authorities: Merton Council, Stockport Council, Wirral Council, City of York Council – supported by Foundations’ Practice Development Team.

Evaluation partners

Due Date

This project is due to be completed by August 2026.
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Cost ratings:

Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.

Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.

Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.

Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.

Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.

Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.

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Child Outcomes:

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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Evidence ratings:

Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.

Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.

Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.

Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.

Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.

Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.

Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.

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