Impact
Evaluation and learning
The National Lottery Community Fund appointed Ecorys to deliver the national evaluation and learning services for its Building Better Opportunities (BBO) programme. The contract started in 2016 and ran until 2023. The final evaluation report can be found below along with each of the annual reports and learning papers.
The evaluation concentrated on examining the approach to programme implementation on the ground. In doing so, it took a formative perspective to generate insights and timely lessons during the life of the programme. The key areas for investigation and analysis through the national evaluation were access and impact.
Key research questions for the evaluation centred on whether the BBO programme worked in relation to successfully moving people towards and into work, and what benefits there have been for those participating in the programme. The evaluation explored the following questions:
- What models, approaches or principles effectively support those furthest from the labour market to move along their pathway to employment?
- What difference has BBO made to the lives of participants?
- How successful has the BBO programme been in enabling the VCSE (voluntary, charity and social enterprise) sector to access the funding?
- What difference has BBO made to existing services?
- What learning can be identified to take forward for future employment programmes?
Evaluation reports
Links to evaluation and final reports for BBO.
- National Evaluation - Final report 2023 (PDF, 13.8MB)
- 2022 annual report (PDF, 4.5MB)
- 2021 annual report (PDF, 6.6MB)
- 2020 annual report (PDF, 1.6MB)
- 2019 annual report (PDF, 1.2MB)
- 2018 annual report (PDF, 1.9MB)
- 2017 annual report (PDF, 1.3MB)
- National Evaluation – Interim findings 2019 (PDF, 2.1MB)
- Building Better Opportunities Summary 2020 (PDF, 1MB)
Learning Papers
Links to learning papers and other reports for BBO.
- Cross Cutting Themes - 2018 (PDF, 600KB)
- Participant Involvement Learning Paper - 2019 (PDF, 1.9MB)
- Employer Engagement Learning Report - 2019 (PDF, 9.5MB)
- In-Work Support Learning Report - 2020 (PDF, 2.3MB)
- Successfully Managing Complex Funding - 2020 (PDF, 2MB)
- Participant Case Study Paper - 2021 (PDF, 1.3MB)
Achievements and case studies
To find out more about many of the achievements of the programme, and hear stories from our participants, watch this video summary of Building Better Opportunities.
To find out about some of the people who have been helped, visit the Building Better Opportunities case studies page on the National Archive.
Reports on progress are collected quarterly, and are then validated at The National Lottery Community Fund.