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Evaluation

A report from SQW reports the findings of a two year study into the Asset Transfer Unit and the asset transfer agenda.  Car parks and castles: giving communities the keys, has highlighted that 49% of local authorities surveyed are expecting asset transfers to increase in the coming year, with circa 1,000 transfers estimated to be underway across the country at present

SQW was commissioned by Locality in March 2009 to carry out a two year independent evaluation of the ATU including its work in supporting and co-ordinating the Advancing Assets for Communities Programme. The overall aim of the evaluation is to understand what difference the ATU is making to community asset transfer in England. Within this, the evaluation has four overarching objectives, as follows: 

  • Assess impact - assess the impact of the ATU on its intended audiences, including their awareness of the ATU, influence on their policy and practices and ultimately on their willingness and capacity to support asset transfers
  • Assess added value - understand the extent to which the ATU has successfully worked with, and added value to, existing initiatives at all levels
  • Learn lessons - identify strengths and weaknesses in the ATU’s approach and to provide progress reports against its objectives through the evaluation, to inform ATU development
  • Recommend - recommend how the community asset transfer agenda can best be carried forward at the end of the funded programme.  

The baseline report was conducted by SQW Consulting the independent evaluators for the Asset Transfer Unit. The report sets out the findings from two extensive national surveys of 360 local authorities in England that were carried out during Summer 2009. The primary survey targeted Senior Officers of local authorities while the second complementary survey targeted Council Leaders. The primary survey received responses from 119 senior officers

The Final report presents the key findings from both years of the evaluation, covering all of the ATU’s programme of work, with an emphasis on the last year. It is the final output from the two year evaluation process. The report draws on a programme of research which has included initial scoping in early 2009, desk based reviews of documents and programme management data, two waves of a national online survey of local government in 2009 and 2010, 23 case studies across England over 2009 and 2010, strategic interviews with national bodies and the evaluation of the Cascading Asset Transfer training course.