The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is working with the Foundations UK, to further develop the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub. The Evidence Hub is an online tool designed to help increase access to effective prevention and early intervention programmes. It helps show the best evidence on what works available to policy makers, service commissioners, providers and other audiences. The Department launched the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub on 31st May, 2023 with five additional Irish programmes added.
DCEDIY is opening a second call for applications for inclusion on the Hub from interested organisations. We will add five additional programmes to the Hub, following evaluation and assessment by Foundations. We want to hear from those who have developed and provided prevention and early intervention programmes in Ireland (or were involved in their evaluation) who would like their programme to be included on the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub. This is an exciting opportunity to spotlight your programme and the evidence of its impact for children and young people. Details of the submission process are below.
DCEDIY and Foundations hosted a webinar about this second call for applications, to assist organisations who are interested in applying. The online webinar was held on Wednesday 18th October During this webinar, attendees heard more about the submission process and the information needed to submit. More information on this below.
What is the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub?
The Evidence Hub is based on the existing Foundations ‘Guidebook’ in the UK. This provides details of prevention and early intervention programmes that have been evaluated and show some evidence of improving outcomes for children and young people. For each programme, information is provided about:
- the specific outcomes the programme are found to improve and the size of those improvements;
- how the programme is delivered and how it works; and,
- the conditions or resources that will improve its likelihood of being effective.
The What Works Ireland Evidence Hub contains information on over 100 prevention and early intervention programmes.
How does the submission process work?
Programme developers, providers, or researchers who are interested in having their programme(s) included on the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub are now welcome to submit an expression of interest.
We are requesting that programme providers complete an expression of interest using the online submission form .
Programmes will be assessed by Foundations using their standards of evidence, which appraise the strength of the evidence for a programme’s effectiveness.
Prior to completing the online submission form, please read this background paper. This contains useful information on the submission process. As well as criteria that Foundations will use in selecting which programmes are eligible for assessment.
5 programmes will be selected for assessment over the period 2023 / 2024.
The deadline for expressions of interest is 17:00, 7th December, 2023. All respondents will be contacted regarding the outcome of their submission in due course.
10 Steps to Evaluation Workshop 18th October, 2023
DCEDIY in collaboration with Foundations held an information workshop on the 10 steps needed to a successful evaluation of programmes to be considered for inclusion on the What Works Ireland Evidence Hub. Dr. Kirsten Asmussen from Foundations delivered the workshop and the slides of the workshop can be found here.
The recording of the workshop can be found here.
Further information
If you have any queries which have not been addressed by the background paper, please email whatworks@equality.gov.ie