Practical and creative tools

Attitudes to space science: before and after postcards

This tool allows practitioners to capture the impact of their interventions. Implemented both before and after an intervention it aimed to measure students’ attitudes towards space science in the project ‘Our Space our Future’ but can be adapted for wider science areas. 

Paul Hamlyn Foundation Toolkit

The Paul Hamlyn Foundation is one of the larger independent grantmaking foundations in the UK. Their Evaluation Resource Pack has been written for frontline workers and volunteers in the voluntary sector to help with evaluating their work. 

Measuring Socially Engaged Practice (The Museums Association)

This toolkit comes from the Esmee Fairbairn Collections Fund. It is a useful summary of their learning and the many and varied projects the fund supported since 2011. 

Impact & Insight Toolkit (Counting What Counts)

The Impact & Insight Toolkit (Counting What Counts) is free to use for ACE funded organisations and provides arts and cultural organisations with a shared approach to evaluating the impact of their work on the people who experience it. 

Partnership tracker tool

A fun tool to provide an illustration of the ups and downs of partnership and trust building. 

Science Museum Group Engagement Measures

The Science Museum Group align their evaluation with the Group’s core priority to grow science capital in individuals and society. The indicators they use are called Science Engagement measures (SEM). They were designed to capture evidence of science engagement, which are observable and measurable, and adhere to good science capital led practice. 

The Equity Compass

The Equity Compass is a reflection tool for supporting socially just practice. It is proving to be a useful tool within Informal Science Learning settings.  

Circuit Evaluation Framework

This framework from the four-year Circuit programme outlines evidence that needs to be gathered, indicates dialogue that needs to take place for meaningful reflection and shows the different roles involved in evidence gathering and monitoring. 

Engagement Passport

A tool to indicate the retention of participants across multiple engagements