PCD 1318 Extension to fund the Evaluation & Capacity Building for the MyEnds Programme

PCD 1318 Extension to fund the Evaluation & Capacity Building for the MyEnds Programme 

Since April 2021, the VRU’s place based MyEnds programme has been providing support and funding for communities to lead and deliver interventions across eight neighbourhoods affected by high and sustained levels of violence across London. 

Following the promising first year of the programme, the Mayor was pleased to announce on 12 July 2022 a further £9 million funding in the Violence Reduction Unit’s flagship community-led programme to tackle violence and deliver positive opportunities for young people. This will allow the VRU to learn and build on the promising first year of the programme and continue investing in communities with a view to embedding sustainable practices and resilience in London’s communities. The VRU extended the delivery of the MyEnds programme across all eight currently commissioned neighbourhoods for a further 15 (fifteen) months from 1 April 2023 until 30 June 2024. This has been approved via PCD 1149 dated 25 May 2022. 

The VRU’s commissioning approach is centred on using evidence and intelligence to ensure projects are operating in the areas they are needed most, and that learning is being effective captured and evaluated for long term change. Following the extension to the MyEnds Programme via PCD 1149 dated 25 May 2022, the VRU is keen to also extend the evaluation and capacity building elements of the programme to ensure constant iteration and development grounded in evidence and dynamic learning.  

This proposal is to allocate a total of £250,000 to fund the evaluation and capacity building activities complementing the delivery and implementation of the MyEnds programme over 15 (fifteen) months from 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2024.  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to approve: 

• Approve the total allocation of up to £250,000 to fund the capacity building and evaluation piece from the VRU’s 2022/23 existing commissioning budget.  

• Approve the carry forward of this £250,000 budget from 2022/23 into 2023/24 and of this: 

• Approve the contract variation to extend the currently commissioned evaluation piece, undertaken by Cordis Bright to the amount of £100,000 till 30 June 2024 (15-month term extension)   

• Approve the contract variation to extend the currently commissioned capacity building piece, undertaken by ListenUp Research to the amount of £150,000 till 30 June 2024 (15-month term extension).   

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background 

This decision covers the following programme:  

• MyEnds programme 

• MyEnds programme evaluation and capacity building  

  MyEnds Programme   

1. The VRU developed the MyEnds programme (previously called Community Connectors programme); initially designed as a two-year investment programme where several areas across the capital benefited from a budget of up to £750k to build on their version of a community led collective impact model to reducing violence.  

2. The programme recognises and centres the critical role of local communities in supporting those exposed to the risk of violence. The core model endorsed by the VRU for this programme is based on empowerment of communities and recognises the collective impact community stakeholders have in violence reduction initiatives. Following a competitive tender process, the VRU awarded eight grants to eight networks of high-quality specialist and culturally competent support services in a placed-based context, who have been delivering across the following three strategic aims: 

• Systems change/collective impact across contexts - Redistributing the leadership on violence reduction across community and statutory partners. Recognising that, those who know the issue and individuals have a central role in owning and leading the collective impact. The providers have facilitated the capacity building of grassroots organisations and individuals within the network. Strengthening the local infrastructure and empowering the community to develop its critical trauma response to violence.  

• Grant funding Element – recognising the contribution of grassroots organisations who are truly aligned to the needs of the community, but who are often excluded from accessing funding of this level and scale, the VRU asked providers to ringfence a considerable portion of the allocated funds to onward capacity building grants, awarded based on recognition and credibility of local service providers, on objective criteria and following an assessment process co-produced by communities. 

• Interventions: for young people and families -The providers were asked to take a psychologically informed approach, delivering multi-level interventions that create change in social environments and co-produce services with those who have lived experience, undertaking an innovative community-based way of addressing the complex social, emotional and occupational needs for marginalised young people and families at risk of violence.  

1.3 The MyEnds programme has served a critical role in increasing community involvement, capacity, and resilience in the eight local neighbourhoods in which it operates. Overall, the programme has shown great promise at end of year one in developing and delivering locally informed and relevant interventions to reduce violence and is becoming a lifeline to many young Londoners. It is very much at the heart of a public health approach to tackling violence. 

1.4 The programme is now further extended for 15 (fifteen) months following a Mayoral announcement on 12 July 2022 up to 30 June 2024 and following approval through PCD 1149 dated 25 May 2022.   

2. Evaluation and capacity building 

2.1      The VRU takes a public health approach to reducing violence, which is rooted in good multi-agency working and close working with communities, focused on prevention, and informed by the systematic use of evidence.  

2.2 In order to demonstrate and robustly evidence the impact of the VRU’s investment in communities and across our violence reduction initiatives, the VRU’s commissioning approach priorities evaluation in order to understand ‘what works’ and to drive future strategic commissioning and targeted investment. This in turn informs the VRU’s policy development and advocacy activities and positions the VRU as a first port of call for learning and best practice in violence reduction.  

2.3 Through ongoing evaluation and by endorsing dynamic learning approaches the VRU also empowers local communities and grassroots organisations through sharing best practice, upskilling & capacity building​. 

2.4 Evaluation has therefore been and continues to be a core component of the VRU’s plans for MyEnds. It has been vital for highlighting the strengths, barriers and key lessons from the programme. The VRU has commissioned an evaluation partner Cordis Bright to work with the successful networks across the two years towards three main aims: 

• Process evaluation – which has already (a) examined the nature and quality of the MyEnds programme and (b) highlighted borough specific implementation, successes and learning. This has helped shape the future delivery and implementation of the programmes in year 2 and beyond. 

• Impact evaluation – is currently being undertaken and due in June 2023. 

• Extended impact evaluation- to run contemporaneous to the programme extension from April 2023 to June 2024. 

2.5 Capacity building for the networks – in addition to the evaluation piece, the VRU have commissioned a capacity building partner Listen Up Research to work closely with networks/communities on the group to enhance their own insight and evaluation skills, processes and resources. The capacity building piece was initially commissioned up to March 2023 but is now being further extended to run contemporaneous to the programme extension from April 2023 to June 2024. 

3. Issues for Consideration 

MyEnds Programme- Evaluation and capacity building 

3.1 In order to re-design the programme, the Violence Reduction Unit will work with the current eight consortiums and the local authorities to ensure the programme is even more effective and will continue to use evidence and intelligence to ensure projects are operating in the areas they are needed most. This is line with the initial aims which recognised that the programme would continue to grow, develop and upscale to reflect continuous learning and insight gathered through delivery and implementation.  

4. Financial Comments  

4.1      Implementing the recommendations of this decision will incur a cost of £250,000. This cost will be funded from the VRU’s approved 2022/23 budget. The contract expenditure will commence in 2023/24, therefore, DMPC approval is required to carry forward the £250,000 budget from 2022/23 into 2023/24. 

5. Legal Comments  

5.1.     This Decision is seeking approval to extend 2 contracts as stated above. Paragraph 4.13 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all unforeseen variations and extensions to contracts when the variation or extension is greater than 10% of the original value and/or is for a period of more than 12 months. Both Contracts have extensions with a value of 10% of the original value and will be extended for a period of more than 12 months. 

6. Commercial Issues  

6.1      Listen Up was awarded a contract in May 2021 following an open procedure   procurement process. The value of the contract is £281,423.00 over a two-year term ending on 31st March 2023. This decision is seeking approval to extend the term of the contract for a further 15 months and increase the value by a further £150,000. 

6.2      Cordis Bright was awarded a contract in April 2021 following an open procedure procurement process. The value of the contract is £215,605.00 over a 2-year term ending on 31st March 2023. The contract has been extended twice; the first extension was for £8,500 and the second was for £3,128.74. The original value and subsequent extensions bring the total value of the contract to £227,233.74. This report is seeking approval to extend the term of the contract for a further 15 months and increase the value by a further £100,000. 

6.3      Regulation 72 of The Procurement Contract Regulations 2015 provides the conditions that must be met in order to modify a contract, based on the following justifications both variations meet all the requirements: 

1. The original contract term was defined by the MyEnds programme timescales with an expected end delivery date of March 2023. The option to extend was not included in the original tender documentation as the expectation was all the services would be delivered within 2 years.  

2. The overall nature of the contracts has not changed. The Supplier will be delivering similar services during the extension period. 

3. The increase in price does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contracts. 

7. Public Health Approach  

7.1      The spend plan takes a public health approach to tackling violence, which means looking at violence not as isolated incidents or solely a police enforcement problem. Instead, this approach looks at violence as a preventable consequence of a range of factors, such as adverse early-life experiences, or harmful social or community experiences and influences. 

7.2     Evaluation of good practice to answer the question ‘what works and for whom?’ which must also happen before policy and programmes can be effectively scaled up and sustained to contribute to population level outcomes (a core requirement for public health programmes). 

8. GDPR and Data Privacy  

8.1      MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities. 

8.2 All contracts will include clear provisions relating to compliance in this area, and in relation to the processing of personal data. These terms have been drafted following consultation with MOPAC’s GDPR Project Manager. 

9. Equality Comments 

9.1      Under s.149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Equality Act), as a public authority the Deputy Mayor/MOPAC must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act; and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status (the duty in respect of this last characteristic is to eliminate unlawful discrimination only). 

9.2       An understanding of the communities most affected by violence and the importance of cultural competency and local context, as well as the proven ability to build strong trusting relationships with communities, will be a key requirement in the tender process for the evaluation of this work.  

10. Background/supporting papers 

None.