Measurement and evaluation
From the outset of any project it is a good idea to set aims and outcomes for the group and individuals involved. These can then be measured and evaluated to ensure the gardening activities is making a difference, which will also influence commissioners and other funders to support your activities.
Starting with a baseline assessment of the aims and needs of the group and/or individuals involved, or that assesses their current health is a useful start for ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
Which tool to use?
There are many different tools available to help evaluate your project. It is always worth asking existing or potential funders if there is a particular tool or approach that they would recommend. Whilst you can, of course, devise your questionnaire or tools to evaluate your project but it is worth considering the tools already available.
If you do set up your own measuring system, ensure that goals are set following the SMART principle i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.
To help decide if an existing tool is right for you, Growing Health has worked with Communities Living Sustainably (CLS) Partnership to create a guide entitled ‘Which tool to use?’ covering the detail of each tool and how to choose. This can be downloaded in full from the website.
Social Return on Investment
Click here to download our summary sheet on the benefits of measuring the social return on investment (SROI) of your project.
Growing Health: Growing Health is a national project run by Garden Organic and Sustain, which is funded by the Tudor Trust, to see how community food growing can be routinely used by the health and social care services as a way of promoting health and wellbeing for a range of individuals and population groups.
