Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme - Stakeholder Network Group minutes January 2022: paper - REARAP evaluation

REARAP evaluation - draft outline specifiation

Summary

This paper:

• sets out a draft outline specification for the Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme evaluation
• asks members to consider options around the expert facilitator. Feedback will be used by Learning Research Analysts to further develop the specification to take forward the procurement

Context and background

Group members have discussed the principle and purpose of evaluating the REAREP programme and have previously considered how appointing an expert facilitator to take forward this activity would be appropriate. Analysts have developed an outline proposal set out below; taking account of the feedback from both a discussion on the 26 August 2021 and responses to a survey completed by group members in November.

Contained below is an outline specification for group members to consider. This is set out as it would appear in the procurement Invitation to Tender documentation. 

Draft specification 

Section 1 – Introduction

The Equality in Education Team, which is part of the Scottish Government’s Workforce and Infrastructure Division wishes to commission an evaluation framework for the Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme (REAREP).

The Equality in Education Team’s key aim is to ensure that equality is embedded in policy development and delivery from the outset, taking a strategic approach across Learning Directorate. This includes the REAREP.

This brief sets out the requirements for this project.

Section 2 – background and context

Background

The Scottish Government, Education Scotland and their partners have developed over a number of years, frameworks and programmes which are predicated on ensuring that equality and diversity characterises the school experience. Considering all of the protected characteristics as well as socio-economic ones, simultaneously ensured an intersectional approach. However, the Scottish Government is of the view that due to the historical and structural nature of racism, the prevalence and seriousness of it and the impact that it has, a separate approach to race is justified.

Race inequality in Scottish education continues to exist and can manifest itself in a number of ways. This includes (but is not limited to):

• the negative impact on young people from minority ethnic backgrounds as a result of the way in which Black history, and world history and heritage centering on visible and non-visible minority ethnic groups is taught
• anti-racism, separate to Black history, is not explicitly set out in the curriculum
• a lack of appropriate training, support, and leadership, resulting in an environment which does not deliver responsive and relevant teaching
• the lack of a positive and supportive school environment for minority ethnic pupils, parents and staff
• lack of diversity in the teaching profession and broader education workforce
• lack of effective approaches to addressing the underlying causes of racism and bullying amongst pupils, teachers and other school staff
• patchy responses to addressing both racist incidents and racist prejudice-based bullying in school, including reluctance in some cases to recognise and address the fact that racism is involved

The REAREP was established in February 2021 after three months of official and Ministerial consultation with race and education stakeholders. The aim of engaging with stakeholders in this way was to enable Ministers and officials to: 

• gain a clearer understanding of the barriers which perpetuate race inequality and racism in schools and the impact they have on learners and staff
• begin to develop, with stakeholders, new and innovative ways in which these barriers can be addressed, in order to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people and practitioners

As a result of the programme of stakeholder engagement and subsequent distillation of the discussions which took place during that period, four key themes emerged, which stakeholders agreed were interlinked and of fundamental importance in order to tackle race inequality in schools:  

• school leadership and professional learning
• diversity in the teaching profession and education workforce
• curriculum reform
• racism and racist incidents in schools

Given the intrinsically linked nature of these themes, officials in Learning Directorate, the Equality Unit and Education Scotland agreed that a new programme providing oversight and coherence to race equality in Scotland’s schools and education system was required. This resulted in the Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme which currently consists of a small internal Programme Board and a larger external Stakeholder Network Group. There is also a newly established children and young people’s group which will work closely with the other parts of the structure.  

Sub-groups for these workstreams, consisting of members of the Stakeholder Network Group were established and meet every 4 – 6 weeks. The initial phase of their work has involved developing actions and associated outputs and outcomes, as well as identifying sector ownership. Due to the interlinked nature of the four themes, subgroups also work across each other, with an approach in place to ensure coherence and to avoid duplication of outcomes when identifying emerging themes and priorities for action.   

The Stakeholder Network Group is clear that evaluation is critical to ensure that evidence is gathered and lessons are learnt which will continue to ensure the programme objectives are met. Evaluation of the Programme has been the subject of discussion with the group and their considerations are included in this specification. 

For more information, please see the REAREP website.

Section 3 – scope/statement of requirement

The successful supplier will be required to develop an evaluation framework for the REAREP Programme, working closely with members of the Stakeholder Network Group and Scottish Government policy officials and analysts.

The supplier will develop an comprehensive methodology that will evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the REAREP Programme. The Stakeholder Network Group recognise the need to ensure a structured, systematic and meaningful way of setting out the aims, expected outcomes, measures and targets for the evaluation of the programme along with a plan for monitoring and analysing results.  

A robust and systematic evaluation framework is required which has the following key aims:

• determine the learning from the REARAP, the four work strands, and the children and young people’s group ensuring alignment to the intended outcomes
• provides continuous learning and improvement which feeds into ongoing policy development
• ensures that programme actions work to achieve the vision whilst testing and reviewing the group’s theoretical perspective
• takes account of key outcomes for all 4 work strands and develops an evaluation framework that can measure progress and impact
• ensures that the voices of children and young people are integral to the evaluation 

The evaluation framework also needs to be realistic. It is anticipated that a process and impact evaluation would be appropriate. The supplier will need to think carefully about which key measures could be used to monitor progress. The evaluation framework needs to be flexible, and responsive to the policy and real life landscape in which the programme operates. 

The Stakeholder Network Group is clear that an expert external facilitator should take forward developing the evaluation framework and importantly that the key attributes also required are an embedded focus on relevant lived experience, an anti-racist knowledge and an education background (see discussion point below).

Methods

A range of research methods are likely to be needed to address the aims above. The methodology will be agreed in detail during the inception stage of the project, based on outline proposals submitted by the successful supplier. 

The following bullets provide an indication of the methodological approach anticipated for this work but contractors are advised to improve, build on or provide alternative suggestions, setting out their own proposals in their response to Schedule 4 (Quality Questions).

The supplier will be expected to outline a methodological approach to evaluation based around:

• measures
• outcomes
• data collation, analysis and reporting
• monitoring results
• opportunities for continuous learning

The supplier will be expected to work closely with the four sub groups to develop their agreed outcomes potentially co-creating a programme logic model or four interlinked models for the sub groups. 

Review the programme in terms of existing data, initially providing a rapid evidence review to support the evaluation framework development and consideration of appropriate measures. 

The supplier is encouraged to consider a framework which includes a mixed approach of quantitative and qualitative measures which will provide the opportunity to produce timely and tangible options for responsive change and improvement. They will also provide an insight into the impact of the work streams and ultimately how the REARAP is having an impact on the education system as a whole.

Section 15 – definitions 

REAREP – Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme

SNG – Stakeholder Network Group

Discussion point

Group members acknowledge that it may not be possible to find one supplier with lived experience, anti-racist knowledge and an education background in the market, so the following procurement options are put forward for consideration:

• issue a procurement that requires an expert facilitator with lived experience, anti-racist knowledge and an education background
• issue a procurement which requires an expert facilitator with the additional requirements being desirable and if not available specify that the expert facilitator must work closely with a representative from each of the four sub groups to provide the lived experience required
• issue two separate procurements – one for an expert facilitator and one for a researcher with lived experience to assist with facilitation and data analysis

Question for SNG: Which of the above procurement options do you want to take forward?