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2. THE PHASE-TWO PATHFINDER PROGRAMME

2.1 INTRODUCTION

This section provides an overview of the Phase Two Adult Literacies Pathfinder Programme. In particular, it: describes the main characteristics of the Phase Two Programme; briefly summarises the eight Phase Two Pathfinder projects supported; and outlines the costs associated with the programme.

2.2 THE PHASE TWO PROGRAMME

In 2003, the Learning Connections Team within Communities Scotland, as part of their role in developing adult literacy and numeracy provision in Scotland, established a second phase of pathfinder projects.

Eight Pathfinder projects were selected and commissioned through a two-stage Challenge Fund process.

The aim of the Phase Two programme was to improve the quality of adult literacy and numeracy provision in Scotland. Pathfinder projects were sought that would focus on either service delivery ( i.e. courses and programmes) or research into literacy as an everyday practice.

The Challenge Fund was designed to support potentially innovative ideas and approaches from across Scotland and throughout the literacy and numeracy field. These projects were to encourage innovation and collaboration between learning providers by supporting the development of new approaches that could be assessed and evaluated over practical timescales.

The Challenge Fund allowed for a maximum allocation of £50,000 per annum per project, to cover all the costs of developing and piloting Pathfinder activity.

The Phase Two programme was designed and managed by the newly formed Learning Connections Team within Communities Scotland. Each Pathfinder project was assigned a staff contact within the Learning Connections Team, who was to offer ongoing advice and support where appropriate.

In addition, an external support contractor (consultants ODS Ltd) was appointed in March 2004 to establish an evaluation framework and evaluation tools with which to monitor Pathfinder activity and, where requested, support projects on an ongoing basis to use the framework.

2.3 THE PATHFINDER PROJECTS

Following a competitive two-stage application process eight Phase Two Pathfinder projects were selected and commissioned in September 2003.

The phase-two projects sought to, amongst other things, develop innovative literacy and numeracy practice, identify successful approaches, and inform the developing national adult literacy and numeracy strategy.

The eight Pathfinder projects were:

Challenge Dad (Aberdeen City Council) - encouraging male family members to participate in literacies learning for the benefit of children and families;

Countdown East End (Parents of East End Primary Schools) - family literacies learning using a community development approach and incorporating training and peer education;

Farm Plus (previously called Learning Opportunities in Rural Areas - LORA) - literacies learning, via the use of radio and internet technology, for rural areas and farm workers (Dumfries & Galloway Adult Literacy and Numeracy Partnership);

Homing in on Literacy - promoting sustainable tenancies by ensuring that young people are given literacies learning opportunities (Perth and Kinross Council);

Healthwise Aberdeen - developing health-related materials and literacy awareness in collaboration with patients and health professionals (Grampian Health Board);

Links to Literacies - developing an infrastructure to promote voluntary sector involvement in adult literacies partnerships and thereby increase engagement with excluded learners (Learning Link Scotland);

Stirling Learning Curriculum - developing training and a curriculum specifically for adults with learning difficulties (Stirling Literacies Action Plan Partnership); and

The Welcoming - literacies learning for speakers of other languages through sharing culture and breaking down barriers for asylum seekers and refugees (City of Edinburgh Council).

2.4 PROGRAMME COSTS

The costs of the Phase Two Pathfinder Programme were made up of two interrelated components:

• grant funding to support the implementation of each project; and
• a contract to design and implement the collective Evaluation Framework and associated support.

The actual expenditure incurred by Pathfinder projects over the period was £872,426. A breakdown of Pathfinder project expenditure is presented in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: Pathfinder Project Costs

In addition, the costs of the design and implementation of the Pathfinder evaluation framework totalled £92,294. This included the professional fees and related costs incurred by the external support contractor. A breakdown of costs is provided in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2: Pathfinder Monitoring Framework Costs

The overall cost of the Phase Two Pathfinder programme was £964,720, with some 90% of costs attributable to direct grants to projects and 10% to external project monitoring and support. It should be noted that the input of staff time and resources from Learning Connections was met through existing departmental budgets, and is therefore not included in total programme costs.

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