Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for Health and Social Services; Julie Morgan MS, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
We are pleased to announce the publication of the mid-point evaluation of the A Healthier Wales’ Transformation Fund.
The aim of the evaluation is two-fold:
- to evaluate the extent to which the Transformation Fund has accelerated the wider adoption and scaling up of new ways of working to replace or reconfigure existing services in order to improve outcomes for people; and
- to evaluate the component parts of new models which have successfully (and unsuccessfully) enabled the adoption and scaling up of new ways of working.
In order to enable a collective understanding of whether different models of care and support result in better outcomes, work was undertaken in conjunction with the Regional Partnership Boards (RPBs) to develop an Evaluation Framework that sets out an overall approach which the Welsh Government requires all RPBs to follow. In particular, this evaluation approach:
- helps the Transformation Fund projects improve their evidence of impact in order that they can scale;
- supports RPBs and their independent evaluators to develop and refine their Theories of Change: working with partners to assess what really makes their model work and to devise an evaluation that would provide high-quality data on their impact;
- develops a consistency in approach across regions to enable a coherent picture of national impact across Wales;
- acts as a critical friend at key review points throughout the delivery of the Transformation Fund.
An important element of the approach taken for evaluation is that it is formative and undertaken at intervals throughout the delivery phase as opposed to just at the final point.
The first National Mid-Point Evaluation Report has now been completed by Old Bell 3 Research and reflects the position before COVID-19. The findings have been informed by each of the RPBs submitting a Regional Mid-Point Evaluation Report, along with fieldwork and interviews undertaken with Welsh Government officials and RPB Transformation Leads.
As part of the on-going evaluation of the Transformation Fund, the requirements have been re-framed in light of COVID-19. This will provide us with an opportunity to provide an independent view regarding the impact of COVID-19 on transformation activity. Communities of Practice have also been established to help share learning and best practice, and to help facilitate problem solving across Wales.
Following the recent announcement on 24 August 2020 of the extension of the Integrated Care Fund and Transformation Fund, the evaluation activity will provide an important evidence base for the design and prioritisation of any future funding and transformation programes post March 2022.
Read the Mid-Point Evaluation Report and Executive Summary.
This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish us to make a further statement, or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns, we would be happy to do so.