Browsing by Subject "programme evaluation"

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    A retrospective evaluation of a wilderness-based leadership development programme
    (2011) Draper, C E; Lund, C; Flisher, A J
    The Leadership Project (LP) in Cape Town, South Africa, is a wilderness-based leadership development programme that targets young people from diverse backgrounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate the LP, focusing on process and perceived outcomes. Document analysis and key informant interviews were used to evaluate programme reach and implementation process. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with past programme participants (n = 46) were conducted to assess perceived outcomes. Study findings indicated that the LP offers a relevant programme and has wide reach through its range of client agencies and organisations. Qualitative findings highlighted that participants' positive experiences and views of the LP came about through the interaction between 'self', 'others'and the 'environment'. Participants' perceived intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes of the LP aligned with the LP's intended outcomes. Mechanisms of perceived outcomes - leaders, programme activities and programme setting - influenced and facilitated the reflective process. This reflective process (strongly related to the intrapersonal outcome of increased self-awareness) appeared to underlie the interpersonal outcomes of the LP. Therefore, a significant finding of this study was that awareness of self is a key characteristic of leadership development. The nature of perceived outcomes was underpinned by the changing of perspectives, and the LP was described as either starting or contributing to a process of change, or as a life changing experience. No major improvements to the LP were suggested, but rather participants' responses affirmed the content and delivery of the programme. These findings indicate that a study with a relatively small scope can provide insight into the perceived outcomes of a leadership development programme, particularly one that caters for participants from a diverse range of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The findings have elucidated the manner in which interpersonal outcomes are underpinned by intrapersonal outcomes, and the complexity of these outcomes in terms of assessment.
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    Theory and outcome evaluation of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation (AGOF) association programme
    (2025) Maponga, Innocent Nyararayi; Chapman, Sarah
    The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation (AGOF) Association Programme is a structured entrepreneurship development initiative designed to cultivate high-impact, socially responsible entrepreneurs in South Africa. This study evaluates the programme's effectiveness by assessing its Theory of Change (ToC) and outcome evaluation findings. The research employs a qualitative evaluation design, incorporating semi-structured interviews with AGOF fellows, and expert entrepreneurship practitioners. The study examines two key dimensions: (1) Theory Evaluation, which investigates whether AGOF's ToC is empirically supported and theoretically plausible, and (2) Outcome Evaluation, which assesses whether the programme successfully facilitates the creation of sustainable enterprises and enhances access to financial assistance. Findings indicate that mentorship and financial literacy training function as mutually reinforcing mechanisms within the programme, equipping fellows with entrepreneurial resilience, strategic decision-making skills, and financial management capabilities. However, the study identifies critical limitations in AGOF's causal pathways, particularly concerning the accessibility of financial support for scaling businesses and inconsistencies in mentorship engagement. Additionally, the outcome evaluation reveals internal validity concerns, highlighting the absence of a control group and reliance on self-reported data, which may limit causal attribution. To enhance programme impact, the study recommends integrating financial literacy training with structured funding access and strengthening mentor-mentee matching processes. These findings contribute to broader discussions on entrepreneurship development in emerging economies, providing insights into how structured mentorship and financial support mechanisms can foster entrepreneurial success.
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    Working with 'necessary contradictions': a social realist meta-analysis of an academic development programme review
    (Taylor & Francis, 2012) Luckett, Kathy
    This article addresses the problem of making programme evaluation sufficiently meaningful and cognisant of context such that practitioners, in this case of academic development, can gain new understandings of their situation in order to improve their practice. In order to do this, the paper uses Archer's morphogenetic framework to deepen the methodology of academic review on an academic development programme. The theory enables a richer understanding of how the programme developed within particular national and institutional situational logics and of the relationships between structure, culture and agency.