Evaluation of community learning and development in Scotland: Methodology

Between September 2023 and June 2024, HM Inspectors carried out a programme of visits to all 32 local authorities as part of the 2023/24 annual programme of inspection. These inspections were designed to support improvement and provide external assurance of the quality of Community Learning and Development (CLD) provision across Scotland, specifically evaluating quality and improvement in leadership and governance.

There are statutory duties on local authorities in The Requirements for Community Learning and Development (Scotland) Regulations 2013 to work with partners and communities to co-produce and secure the delivery of CLD in their area and publish a three-yearly CLD Plan. During the inspections, HM Inspectors assessed the extent to which local authorities are fulfilling these statutory duties, looking at the progress made by local authorities and their CLD partners against their CLD 2021 to 2024 plans.

Before the inspections, CLD leaders were asked to self-evaluate progress with their CLD plan in key areas such as leadership, governance and their impact on learners and communities. This self-evaluation, which was structured around two high-level questions and five themes from the CLD quality framework How good is our community learning and development, highlighted strengths, progress against their CLD plan, and areas for development.

During the inspections, HM Inspectors gathered information from a wide range of stakeholders, including children and young people, adult learners, community activists, volunteers, staff and senior leaders. They observed CLD activities and reviewed documents and reports against CLD plans to evaluate progress and outcomes.

At the end of each visit, HM Inspectors provided an overall evaluation of how effectively local authorities and their CLD partners were delivering on their plans. Additionally, they identified highly effective practices that demonstrated strong collaboration and successful provision of services.