Social Inclusion Partnership (PPA) Indicators and Typology

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DUNDEE PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY REGENERATION STRATEGY

PRIORITY PARTNERSHIP AREAS

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Social Inclusion Partnership (PPA) Indicators and Typology

PPA Monitoring and Evaluation Unit
Geddes Centre for Planning Research
School of Town and Regional Planning
University of Dundee

November 1998

One of the Monitoring and Evaluation Series

Introduction

The Scottish Office Development Department Guidance Note on Monitoring and Evaluation, confirms that there are two main purposes of monitoring:

to provide measurements of success or failure;

to provide feedback to allow review of policy and practice.

This implies that monitoring indicators must:

a) be capable of being specified in terms relevant to the strategies objectives and outcomes;

b) be capable of being collated frequently enough to allow adaptive management approaches to operate effectively.

The adoption of monitoring indicators in itself requires a measure of consensus between partnership agencies. The provision of monitoring information related to a set of agreed baseline data allows all partners involved in the strategy to base their own actions on a consistent information base.

Qualitative monitoring will pick up on additional forms of information gathering and evaluation, although, suitable methodology and indicators for this will not be outlined in this paper. Nonetheless, this will draw on the main themes of community capacity, partnership, and involvement in the process of implementing the PPA and Regeneration policy framework.

Operational Issues

Key principles which must be considered in relation the selection and use of indicators. These can be summarised as :

Robustness: data must be statistically robust (e.g. use of persons per room rather than occupancy density measure for overcrowding);

Relevance: data which is a reliable and valid indicator of the measure involved;

Flexibility: the preference for simpler variables, which can be more readily combined into aggregate indices, and separated for different purposes.

Indicators selected must be consistently available throughout the programme period at the required frequency and spatial scales. Monitoring activity is itself seen as a learning exercise rather than the application of pre-determined performance. This implies, that:

a) the appropriateness of indicators is itself kept under review;

b) linkage indicators which inform the relationship between key policy areas (e.g. stability and prosperity) are identified.

The Selection of Indicators

This paper specifies the range of indicators related to each of the themes of the PPA strategy. This defines four key themes and identifies a range of measures that will impact upon each theme. Indicators will be defined for each of the measures within these four themes. This will form the basis of the PPA Database, which will be maintained within the PPA Monitoring and Evaluation Unit. The themes are:

Stability

Sustainability

Prosperity

Empowerment.

The indicators have been drawn from an amalgamation of work previously undertaken, which dates back to work completed by:

a) Neighbourhood Resources and Planning and Transportation Departments, in relation to the ‘Common Targets’ exercise - January 1996.

b) Neighbourhood Resources and Planning and Transportation Departments, in relation to setting ‘Output Measures for each of the PPA Themes’ - September 1996.

c) PPA Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, in relation to the selection of ‘Micro Level Indicators’ - November 1997.

d) Neighbourhood Resources and University of Dundee, in relation to ‘Measuring Community Capacity in Dundee’ - December 1997

Also, we have included those programme level indicators specified by the Scottish Office in relation to their guidance on monitoring and evaluation. Indicators are required which will track the change in the level and character of deprivation nationally. This requires the use of nationally agreed indicators to allow comparisons to be drawn and of a range of indicators sufficient to specify the nature of deprivation experienced.

A brief description of the characteristics of each of the indicators is set out in the Typology of Indicators (contact the SIP Monitoring and Evaluation Unit for a copy and/orfurther information).

The selection of indicators listed in the table provided is not exhaustive and will therefore be under constant review. This is determined by firstly, the availability of data, over the lifetime of the SIP and in a coherent form, and secondly, whether the data can be utilised to give a measure of conditions which are both absolute and comparable to other areas.

Notes on Table:

(1) Scottish Office Programme Level Indicators are clearly highlighted in bold.

THEME ONE: STABILITY ( denotes information is available and collected at that level)

MEASURES AND INDICATORS	SO M&E	Dundee PPA	Project Level
Improve Community Support
Number of co-ordinated community organisations.
Number of community led social or care initiatives.
Which Increase Housing Tenure Mix
Tenure Indices
Household structure.
Average household size.
Reduce Crime and Fear of Crime
Recorded Crimes.
Residents fear of crime.
Home contents insurance weights
No of juveniles reported to Children’s Panel (on grounds of offence)
No of children participating in targeted initiatives to reduce offences.
The range of community safety measures in place.
Stabilise Population Levels and Reduce High Turnover
Housing void rate.
Household improved (brought up to tolerable standard).
Residents satisfaction with house.
Population and migration levels
Residents satisfaction with area as place to live.
Improve Physical, Economic and Social Structures
Number and range of local events.
Number and range of mechanisms in place for community information.
Residents informed about services / facilities.
Number of volunteer contact points.
Number of people involved in local project management.
Residents satisfaction with local services.
Use of public buildings already in the community

THEME TWO : SUSTAINABILITY ( denotes data is available and collected at that level)

MEASURES AND INDICATORS	SO	Dundee PPA	Project
Increase Sense of Belonging
Satisfaction and desire to stay in the community.
No of people participating in local community initiatives.
No of residents taking part in sports and cultural initiatives.
Create Work
Number of training placements provided.
Number of Job placements provided.
Businesses locating in the area.
Enhance Educational Attainment
Percentage of pupils achieving level A in reading by P3.
Number and % of S4 gaining 5+ standard grades at 1 – 6.
Number and % of S5 gaining 3+ higher grades at A-C.
Percentage absence rates.
Number of pupils attending supported study initiatives.
Number of people taking up adult guidance.
Number of people participating in core skills initiatives
Which Promote Community Integration
Number of volunteers active in the community.
Number of young people accessing outreach provision.
Have Positive Environmental Benefit
Hectares derelict/vacant land.
Hectares of land re-landscaped.
Hectares of land re-developed
Facilitate Transportation And Safety
None Developed	*******	*******	*******
Promote Youth Initiatives
Number of young people benefiting from projects
No of young people involved in the management of provision

THEME THREE: PROSPERITY( denotes information is available and collected at that level)

MEASURES AND INDICATORS	SO	Dundee PPA	Project
Enhance Employment Prospects
Unemployment rate.
Number of training placements provided.
Number of Job placements provided.
Businesses locating in the area.
School leaver destination.
Number of people gaining training qualifications.
Long-term Unemployment rate (1 Year +).
Youth Unemployment rate (16-24 Years).
Increase Availability of Affordable Childcare
Number of childcare places created.
Number of affordable childcare services in the community.
Enhance the Contribution of the Private Sector and Support their Involvement
Business VAT registration.
Number of firms participating in schemes to target unemployment.
Alleviate Poverty
Income Support dependency.
Housing Benefit dependency.
Annual Household Income.
Socio Economic Group.
Lone parent households in receipt of benefit.
Elderly households.
Number of individuals receiving money advice.
Promote Good Health
Rates of Mortality under 65 years.
Mortality by heart disease, cancer and stroke.
Low-birth weight babies.
Percentage of smokers.

THEME FOUR: EMPOWERMENT ( denotes data is available and collected at that level)

MEASURES AND INDICATORS	SO	Dundee PPA	Project
Build Community Capacity
Number of people involved in community activity.
Number of people involved in adult learning programmes devised by and for the community.
No and range of community organisations within the area.
Increase the Involvement of Citizens in Decisions
No of community information requests through Libraries.
No of residents who have attended community consultations.
Involve the Proofing of Local Authority and Partner Agencies Policies Prior to Implementation
Number and range of consultation events.
Number of community representatives on planning and policy making bodies.
Deliver Training Locally
Number of people participating in training.
Number and range of training programmes delivered.
Provide Funding for Community Controlled Initiatives
Number of grants awarded to support community controlled initiatives.
Number of community led social or care initiatives in the community.
Which Support Volunteers
Number of volunteers taking part in the management of projects.
Number and range of volunteers taking part in the delivery of projects services.

The following list of indicators includes those, which were firstly, not appropriate in relation to the key principles referred to under ‘operational issues’ and /or secondly, collection of the data would be difficult.

Indicator	N/A	Difficult to Collect
Level of inter-agency	*
Support structures	*
Household structure		*
House contents insurance base		*
Number of youth calls		*
Number of children participating in initiatives to reduce offences	*	*
Number of people involved in local events	*	*
Participation in local organisations		*
Number of community-led initiatives	*
Number of people involved in local project management	*
Residents active in the community	*	*
Percentage of 17 year olds in education
Number of additional pre-five initiatives	*	*
Number of pupils receiving behavioural support	*
Number of local training opportunities provided		*
Funding gained for community controlled initiatives	*
Number of volunteering opportunities available	*	*
Number of instances of illegal dumping	*	*
Level of graffiti		*
Community involvement in environmental issues		*
Number of activities promoting social and personal skills	*	*
Number of young people taking part in community consultation		*
Number of guidance counselling and job search opportunities		*
Number of pupils attending supported study initiatives		*
Availability and access to new technology	*	*
Uptake of childcare	*
Uptake of targeted employment subsidy	*	*
Number of posts filled by long-term unemployed	*	*
Number of bad debts		*
Gross benefit uptake	*	*
Number of uptake campaigns	*
Number of Credit Unions and its members	*
Level of savings and loans	*
Support available to community groups	*
Skills and Knowledge obtained through involvement in comm orgs		*
Range of consultation events	*
Number of residents attending community consultation events	*
Number of people gaining certification when taking part in training		*
Number of small grants obtained for community controlled initiatives	*
Number of training programmes undertaken by volunteers	*
Number of young people involved in management of youth programmes	*

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