3 Hot topics and emerging issues
-
Helen Dickinson
Abstract
This chapter explores a series of tensions around the evaluation of health and social care collaboration in more detail, focusing on some specific areas of debate within the literature, including:
-
How can collaboration be effectively evaluated?
-
What kinds of evidence about integration might we present to different groups?
-
Performing governance: what is the additional work of collaboration?
In Chapter 2 we argued that evaluating collaboration can be a difficult process. Gomez-Bonnet and Thomas (2015, p 28) explain that ‘methods to evaluate partnerships have … proliferated, but tend to focus only on particular aspects of partnerships. None alone provide a comprehensive picture of how a partnership is working.’ In this section we explore some of the different approaches that have been used to evaluate collaborative working, and the appropriateness of these to particular purposes and settings. This section provides background in terms of methodology and philosophy of evaluation to consider the frameworks and tools that will be set out in the following chapter. We start by setting out the methodology adopted in the Sure Start programme that we have already spoken about in the previous two chapters (see Box 3.1). As this illustrates, the Sure Start evaluation was composed of different components, each devised to analyse different issues. For each of these components it was decided what was under investigation and which approach would be most suited to uncovering these factors. As this demonstrates, approaches were formative and summative, quantitative and qualitative, and the various components of the national study were used to reinforce and inform other strands.
Abstract
This chapter explores a series of tensions around the evaluation of health and social care collaboration in more detail, focusing on some specific areas of debate within the literature, including:
-
How can collaboration be effectively evaluated?
-
What kinds of evidence about integration might we present to different groups?
-
Performing governance: what is the additional work of collaboration?
In Chapter 2 we argued that evaluating collaboration can be a difficult process. Gomez-Bonnet and Thomas (2015, p 28) explain that ‘methods to evaluate partnerships have … proliferated, but tend to focus only on particular aspects of partnerships. None alone provide a comprehensive picture of how a partnership is working.’ In this section we explore some of the different approaches that have been used to evaluate collaborative working, and the appropriateness of these to particular purposes and settings. This section provides background in terms of methodology and philosophy of evaluation to consider the frameworks and tools that will be set out in the following chapter. We start by setting out the methodology adopted in the Sure Start programme that we have already spoken about in the previous two chapters (see Box 3.1). As this illustrates, the Sure Start evaluation was composed of different components, each devised to analyse different issues. For each of these components it was decided what was under investigation and which approach would be most suited to uncovering these factors. As this demonstrates, approaches were formative and summative, quantitative and qualitative, and the various components of the national study were used to reinforce and inform other strands.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables, figures and boxes vi
- Acknowledgements viii
- List of abbreviations ix
- Preface x
- What are evaluation and outcomes, and why do they matter? 1
- What does research tell us? 29
- Hot topics and emerging issues 59
- Useful frameworks and concepts 85
- Recommendations for policy and practice 105
- References 109
- Index 125
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of tables, figures and boxes vi
- Acknowledgements viii
- List of abbreviations ix
- Preface x
- What are evaluation and outcomes, and why do they matter? 1
- What does research tell us? 29
- Hot topics and emerging issues 59
- Useful frameworks and concepts 85
- Recommendations for policy and practice 105
- References 109
- Index 125
