Evaluating activity programmes

This resource highlights recommendations for commissioners, providers and practitioners across the physical activity sector. It covers how to plan, deliver and evaluate evidence-based physical activity programmes.

These recommendations are the product of five regional Physical Activity Evaluation and Scale-Up Fora that brought together over 300 stakeholders across England in February and March 2016.

Recommendations in this resource include:

• Integrate evaluation into programme planning and delivery from the start

Integrate evaluation into the commissioning and programme planning process to ensure appropriate evaluation can be developed and undertaken from the start to enable baseline data to be collected.

• Select and measure relevant outcomes

Keep outcomes appropriate for the aims, objectives and timescales of the programme. Health outcomes only need to be measured if they are an unproven element of what works

• Evaluate cost effectiveness or return on investment

Consider evaluating the cost effectiveness or return on investment of the programme as this helps to make the case for investment and/or continuation of programme delivery.

Further information about the Physical Activity Evaluation and Scale-Up Fora as well as the presentation slides from the events can be found here 

Download: Recommendations for the evaluation of physical activity programmes