Local Pilot Process Evaluation Summary October 2022

By Hazel Musgrove, Strategic Lead – Evidence and Evaluation | 17 November 2022 | TAGS: Local Pilot, Evaluation

Building on what we've learned from our previous process and impact evaluations of the Local Pilot in Greater Manchester, our latest report focuses on three areas of whole systems development. 

Each area is linked to one of our five system enablers, introduced in March 2020. I've given a brief outline of each area below as well as a story from a local area which shows how this looked in the real world.

Alongside our evaluation colleagues at Substance and Sheffield Hallam, we've also created infographics of each of our local area's stories so that there's a visual representation of the journey they've been on. These are available at the bottom of this page. 

1) New Governance Structures for Policy Implementation

Our explorations of new governance structures for policy implementation highlighted the importance of dismantling separate Local Pilot (LP) structures.

With a strategic senior work leader alongside those working on the LP to absorb principles and have clarity and enough confidence in the approach to become a wider champion.

In Stockport, the LP disbanded their steering group in July 2022 which was a practical step to phase out the language and structures of the LP and further integrate approaches across the system. Find out more about their development of the ONE Stockport strategy here.

Questions you could consider: 

• To what extent do we have strategic leadership involvement and investment in structures that absorb the principles and objectives of the pilot into business as usual across all of our places?
• How might we support the absorption of LP principles and objectives into wider system practice?

2) Enabling Sustainable Collaboration

The second key lesson from our latest report is that successfully sustaining collaboration appears to be born out of mutual understanding, respect and trust in each other’s roles and competencies.

This drives increased capacity and greater satisfaction and morale from working together and a sense that partnership working will enhance rather than cause harm to people’s own job or organisational security.

In Salford, we learned lots from how Salford Community Leisure (SCL) and Salford Youth Service (SYS) have worked together over the course of the LP. Learn more about their journey and how they're successfully sustaining collaboration here.

Questions you could consider:

• How might we create space for building trust and belief in the benefits of partnership working at a time of funding constraints and insecurity?

3) Entrusting Community Leadership

Entrusting community leadership has been a foundational principle of the Local Pilot but its realisation has, at times, been more elusive given the importance of investing time in building relationships.

This has been particularly noticeable through engagement in what might be unfamiliar facilitative and supportive roles.

It can be challenging and frustrating when community leadership tends to be transitory, with individuals moving in and out of leadership roles.

This may illustrate the wider societal and empowering benefits of the approach but it also has planning and resource implications.

In Manchester, the Community Researchers involved with the Heart and Soul project have been exposed to partners and involved in gathering intelligence which has helped to build connections and develop relationships in their area.

Questions you could consider: 

• How might we create space for building trust and belief in the benefits of partnership working at a time of funding constraints and insecurity?

I hope that is useful for you. You can learn more about the Local Pilot in Greater Manchester here and we also have a specific page looking at our ongoing evaluation of the work here.

The full October 2022 report is here and provides further detail, including first hand testimony in the form of audio-visual recordings linked to passages in the report as well as self-contained and deep dive case studies.

Downloads

• New Governance Structures Infographic in Stockport
• Enabling Sustainable Collaboration Infographic in Salford
• Entrusting Community Leadership Infographic