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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 This is the report of a study commissioned by the Finance & Central Services Department of the Scottish Executive to evaluate the Scotland in the Netherlands Programme, 2004. The study was conducted by SQW Limited during October 2004 to April 2005.
1.2 The evaluation considers both activities and outcomes associated with the Programme and its component events. It assesses the overall impact of the Programme on target audiences both in the Netherlands and in Scotland. The study examines both immediate and anticipated longer-term impacts.
Scope of evaluation
1.3 The Scotland in the Netherlands Programme was developed and co-ordinated by the International Division of the Scottish Executive. It is the largest to date in the Scotland in … series that has included previous programmes in Sweden and Catalonia. It consisted of a diverse set of events involving participants from Scotland and the Netherlands during September to October, 2004.
1.4 The events in the Programme are listed below (for more information on each event and its evaluation see Annex C):
Table 1.1: Event Programme
Science: | Public lecture and research seminar on Brain Sciences |
Seminar on cancer and radiotherapy, (unlike the other events, held in Edinburgh) |
Social policy and practice: | "Learning journey" on drugs/substance abuse and prostitution issues |
Study trip and conference on Access to Justice |
Arts and culture: | Evening of Scottish Culture |
Wee Stories Theatre - performance of Tam O'Shanter |
East of Glasgow Youth Theatre and the ISH Youth Theatre project in Amsterdam, theatre exchange |
National Arts Education Network ( NAEN) Study trip and seminar on cultural entitlement for young people |
Architecture and regeneration: | Landforms Exhibition - an exhibition of 17 Scottish projects completed since devolution |
Study tour on urban regeneration in the Netherlands |
Evaluation objectives
1.5 The evaluation was commissioned to assist the Scottish Executive in the further development of policy and practice. It has the following specific objectives:
- to provide a clear and systematic account of the Scotland in the Netherlands Programme which extends to an assessment of immediate outcomes and impacts
- to establish which parts of the Programme worked well/not well and why
- to establish which outcomes have been sustainable in the post-event phase within the period of this research
- to provide an analysis of outcomes in relation to:
- changing perceptions of Scotland
- cooperative/ collaborative links with Scotland
- exchange of practice
- business, public, cultural and tourism links
- in-migration from the Netherlands.
1.6 The study also piloted an evaluation framework developed by the Scottish Executive's Analytical Services Division to gather and assess evidence for all overseas promotional activity. The framework provides a structured approach that considers the Programme and its associated events in terms of pre-event, at event and post-event stages of activity. The evaluation framework pilot together with conclusions and recommendations on its efficacy for systematising evaluation of future overseas events is summarised in Chapter 3 and described more fully in Annex B
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