Using An Evaluation Framework to Direct Public Engagement Work:2017-2022 with Case Studies

We are the School of Life Sciences Public Engagement team. This team encompasses the Schools Outreach Organiser and Public Engagement and Communications Officer as well as the WCAIR Public Engagement Manager and Public Engagement Officer and the Academic Lead. We provide support for the staff and students within the School of Life Sciences in engaging with the public, including training, resource development, administrative support, and specialist expertise. We have staff and student development, and social purpose at the heart of all that we do.In 2017 we defined four main aims as part of our new Public Engagement with Research Strategy:→ Build on our creative partnerships to deliver a high-quality, innovative engagement programme. This will inspire participation in and understanding of our research, making science relevant for everyone.→ Engage a diverse range of people with our research.→ Consult with our local communities to widen our reach and meet their needs.→ Promote and support a culture of active participation in public engagement within our life sciences community.In 2018, we worked with Evaluation Support Scotland to set up our evaluation framework. Some of the evaluation outcomes, and their associated indicators, were set to evidence the good work we were already doing. Some were set to drive us to improve our practice.Over the past five years, we have used the framework to monitor our work. Each annual reflection gave us confidence in some areas but also pushed us to re-examine some of our long-standing practices and assumptions and refine the framework to meet changing needs.Here we showcase how we used the evaluation framework to guide our work and in doing so, provide a flavour of the public engagement activities the School of Life Sciences undertakes. We demonstrate how we knew if we were being successful, where we had more work to do, and where we were unrealistic with our expectations