What is evidence? Learning from the experience of Project Oracle

‘What is evidence?’ Georgie Parry-Crooke asked at the start of a Food for Thought Lunchtime talk in May 2016.

Transcript

1. Claudio Cionini 2010 Per strada, verso sera 1
2. What is evidence? Learning from the experience of Project Oracle Georgie Parry-Crooke May 2016
3.  Why talk about evidence?  Where has my interest it come from?  Where is it going? Think and do 3
4. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved. Project Oracle: Children & Youth Evidence Hub aims to 'understand and share what really works' in youth programmes in London. It is building an innovative space in which stakeholders interact and learn from each other, to improve youth outcomes. Project Oracle (funded by the GLA, MOPAC and ESRC from 2012) originated from the Greater London Authority to:  generate and use better evidence  grow evidence for children and youth projects that are can make a discernible impact in London  build a repository of independently assessed and evaluated programmes and projects, in order to inform decision-making What is Project Oracle? 4
5. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved. Why a children and youth evidence hub? 5
6. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved. 6
7. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved. The Project Oracle Standards of Evidence 7
8. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved. The Project Oracle Ecosystem 8
9. What is admissible?  Multiple forms  Judgement  Intuition  Responding to experience Can we separate these? Does the debate come to any provisional conclusions? The meaning (s) of evidence 9
10.  Architects of evidence  Purpose, audience  Hierarchies and authority  Contribution and use Evidence 10
11.  No reason nor data  Knowledge from within  Common sense  Empathy Intuition 11
12.  Intuition is a decision-making method that is used unconsciously by experienced practitioners  It is a highly creative process  (we) should generate and follow (clinical) hunches  We can improve our intuitive powers through systematic critical reflection about intuitive judgements. Greenhalgh,T. (2002) Intuition and evidence — uneasy bedfellows? British Journal of General Practice May 12 Trisha Greenhalgh
13. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved. The Arts Cohort example: Impact Pioneers 13
14. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved.  The Arts Cohort: a small group of organisations working in and with the arts and young people take a journey to better evidence.  Provider support: they received consistent and regular support through the Arts Cohort. For this reason, we needed to make sure that opportunities to engage funders and academics really count. The funder roundtables brought a range of funders into the fold.  What makes it different: it offers those involved an accelerated journey through Standards 1 and 2, alongside the wider benefits to the sector outlined above. Does the ecosystem work? 14
15. Text and content copyright © 2014 Project Oracle. All rights reserved.  Funders use: evidence needs to be useful to both funders and providers – it should be a win-win.  Collaborative learning: more space needs to be created for this. There is little or no infrastructure around the arts (like there is for education, for example).  Speaking a common language and sharing a common vision: the arts sector is incredibly diverse.  Strategy for engaging with partners: identifying key networks or bridge organisations. Does the ecosystem work? The Arts Cohort example 15
16.  Disentangling  (Re)integrating  Developing an ‘Evidential Tapestry’  Creating ‘Best Bets’ So what? 16
17. A kaleidoscope of meaning (s) 17