Monitoring and Evaluation
Project monitoring
This covers the ongoing collection and analysis of information to monitor progress on the individual projects relating to:
- processes within and between the Hign Performance Work (HPW) partner organisation, consultant(s) and participating firms
- progress within firms against targets.
Objective
- To obtain information on the process of engagement with participating firms.
- To secure information that enables the Department of Labour to assess progress of individual projects against contractual milestones, including the reporting of key performance indicators (KPIs), and to identify whether any changes are required.
- To secure information on outcomes to evaluate the overall initiative in 2012/13.
Information required from HPW partners
Milestone reporting including:
- documentation of the area of focus, type of intervention or service provided, and specific practice changes anticipated for each participating firm
- documentation of KPIs and baselines for each participating firm
- progress against milestones, including any specific deliverables
- progress against KPIs
- progress of financial expenditure against the project budget
- reporting on previously-identified risks, primarily any that have become problems or are likely to be so in the immediate future, and corrective action.
Information about progress and results for companies would be required in summary form in milestone reports throughout the life of the project.
This information will be used for
- Reporting to the Minister, Department and PRC Advisory Board
- Evaluation of the project and overall initiative
- It may also form the basis for promotional or publicity material
Information required from providers
The HPW partner is responsible for monitoring the work of the provider.
The HPW partner must ensure that providers establish benchmark information against which improvements can be demonstrated.
Information required from participants
The Department may, in particular circumstances, wish to obtain information directly from participants. In this case, the HPW partner will be informed in advance.
Evaluation - Summary
The objective of the evaluation process is to provide the information that will enable stakeholders to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of projects under the HPW Initiative and the overall initiative. The evaluation findings across all projects will form the basis for advice to the Government about the continuation of the HPW initiative (a review of which is required in 2012/13).
Each project will require KPIs to be developed that can be benchmarked at the commencement of the project and measured and reported on a regular basis.
The evaluation will be conducted by the Labour and Immigration Research Centre in the Department of Labour.
Stage 1 evaluation
This initial evaluation stage will permit relevant information about the productivity improvement work to be fed back to the parties while the work is proceeding, and enable them to make any modifications in time to make a difference in outcomes.
The activities of the Department and the HPW partners will be evaluated to document and assess
- how the project was developed, up to the point that a proposal was approved
- how the project was established and implemented, in particular
- the selection of the consultant(s)
- the identification and selection of companies for participation
- area of focus and type of intervention or service provided.
- and the effectiveness of
- the Department’s management of the initiative
- HPW partners in locating companies that are ready to participate successfully in productivity improvement
- the work of the consultants assigned to work with the companies
- the ongoing measurement of the KPIs.
Participation required from HPW partners and providers
The process evaluation will involve:- an interview with HPW partner representatives, project managers and consultants.
The evaluation will also use information supplied by Department staff and the partner’s milestone reports.
The Department may, in particular circumstances, wish to obtain monitoring information directly from participants. In this case, the HPW partner will be informed in advance.
Timing
Within three or four months of productivity work being initiated in individual companies
Stage 2 Evaluation
This stage of the evaluative work will be aimed at:
- assessing the efficiency and effectiveness of the various approaches to productivity improvement utilised in the project
- exploring questions associated with value for money spent in the project
- getting as clear a picture as possible of productivity improvements gained through the project.
Participation required from HPW partners and providers
- clear documentation of the initiatives and service changes arising from the consultant engagement
- benchmarking of the KPIs at the commencement of the project
- ongoing reporting on the KPIs in milestone reporting
- interviews with HPW partner representatives, project managers and consultants
- assistance to contact companies for interview by Department evaluation staff.
Participation required from a selection of participating companies
- interviews with a cross-section of managers and staff
Timing
At the conclusion of the project and twelve months later
