Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainable Communities (Phase Two)
Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainable Communities (MESC) was a 12-month Knowledge Exchange project that ran from 1st December 2013 until 30th November 2014, funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council. MESC brought together researchers from the University of Oxford, members of UK low carbon community groups, Transition Research Network, and Low Carbon Communities Network, to co-produce and trial monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tools. The project team was Kersty Hobson (PI), Jo Hamilton and Ruth Mayne (The University of Oxford); Naresh Giangrande (Transition Network); and Christopher Church (Low Carbon Communities Network).
The overall aims of the project were to:
The project team worked with UK-based Transition Initiatives, local energy groups, and low carbon community groups to trial selected monitoring and evaluation resources and tools over a six month period in 2014, with support from the project team. It developed a Monitoring and Evaluation Guide for Transition Groups, available from the Transition Network website.
An interview with MESC researcher Jo Hamilton was published on Rob Hopkins' blog in April 2014.
Further information at: http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/research/technologies/projects/mesc/
MESC was one of a suite of projects connected with Transition Research Network on the key theme of Monitoring and Evaluation.
The overall aims of the project were to:
- collaboratively identify representative indicators that can be utilized across the Transition and Low Carbon Communities movement to evaluate collective impact;
- develop appropriate M&E resources in line with identified priorities and needs, such as step-by-step guides, data collection tools, and processes that can be incorporated into meetings/events;
- build capacity within local groups to pilot and implement tools;
- collect data on processes, experiences and outcomes from groups over several months; and
- produce transferable resources that can be used and adapted by groups and organisations with similar aims.
The project team worked with UK-based Transition Initiatives, local energy groups, and low carbon community groups to trial selected monitoring and evaluation resources and tools over a six month period in 2014, with support from the project team. It developed a Monitoring and Evaluation Guide for Transition Groups, available from the Transition Network website.
An interview with MESC researcher Jo Hamilton was published on Rob Hopkins' blog in April 2014.
Further information at: http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/research/technologies/projects/mesc/
MESC was one of a suite of projects connected with Transition Research Network on the key theme of Monitoring and Evaluation.
Monitoring and evaluation for Sustainable Communities (Phase One)
Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Dr Kersty Hobson (Project leader), Jo Hamilton, Ruth Mayne
Phase One ran from Jan – October 2013, and was led by the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. This knowledge exchange and research project focused on Transition Initiatives and Low Carbon Community Groups (LCCG) in the UK. Working with Transition Network and Low Carbon Communities Network it investigated current Monitoring and Evaluation practices and experiences, and assessed the future needs of groups. The project built on previous and ongoing research conducted in the School of Geography and the Environment into Low Carbon Community Groups in the UK: specifically the projects EVALOC and UNLOC. The background research survey on Monitoring and Evaluation can be found here [PDF].
Overall the ‘Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainable Communities’ project aimed to:
A full report of the project and the Monitoring and Evaluation resources are available on the project website
Report [PDF] (July 2013): Results from the Monitoring and Evaluation Survey which took place from July – September 2012.
Phase One ran from Jan – October 2013, and was led by the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. This knowledge exchange and research project focused on Transition Initiatives and Low Carbon Community Groups (LCCG) in the UK. Working with Transition Network and Low Carbon Communities Network it investigated current Monitoring and Evaluation practices and experiences, and assessed the future needs of groups. The project built on previous and ongoing research conducted in the School of Geography and the Environment into Low Carbon Community Groups in the UK: specifically the projects EVALOC and UNLOC. The background research survey on Monitoring and Evaluation can be found here [PDF].
Overall the ‘Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainable Communities’ project aimed to:
- Gather further evidence about LCCG members’ attitudes towards, uses of, and experiences in, M&E of their groups’ activities.
- Create succinct M&E resources for LCCGs, drawing on current best practice and research (EVALOC), as well as researchers’ experiences in this field.
- Provide space and opportunity for some LCCGs to think through their approach to, and the potential of, M&E for their group through holding 1‐day Knowledge Exchange workshops in Bristol and Oxford.
- Trial the above resources in these workshops and improve them through feedback, with the goal of making them publicly available on the project website.
A full report of the project and the Monitoring and Evaluation resources are available on the project website
Report [PDF] (July 2013): Results from the Monitoring and Evaluation Survey which took place from July – September 2012.