Kinnect Group member Dovetail Consulting recently conducted a VfI evaluation of the national Youth Primary Care Mental Health and Addictions Initiative. As part of this project they developed a new VfI guide. The guide helps evaluators apply the approach in health and social services settings. In this guide the team observed:
“VfI isn’t a method; it’s a system, comprising a set of principles and a process within which evaluators are encouraged to work reflectively and reflexively, aligning and applying an appropriate mix of methods, tools and expertise to the evaluation.
Ultimately, clients and stakeholders appreciate the findings of a VfI evaluation because explicit evaluative reasoning, embedded in the principles and process underpinning VfI, provides a pathway for evaluators to provide clear answers to value questions. The VfI process facilitates an evaluation that commences with an understanding of the programme and the system in which it is situated. It helps stakeholders to think clearly about what they are trying to achieve, the value proposition of the investment, and what success and good VfI look like. Because clients and stakeholders are engaged throughout the process, the evaluation is more than just a report; the conversations that take place throughout the evaluation add value and help to inform decision-making long before reports are written. These processes, in turn, guide the evaluation team to deliver reports that are cogent, accurate and useful.” (King, Crocket, Field, 2023. p5).
Dovetail has also recently used VfI in several other evaluations in NZ in water quality, transport policy, and health workforce development, as well as an urban design initiative in Brazil. To enquire more about Dovetail’s work, please contact Adrian Field.
