Pre-entry Mapping Outcomes and Activities Tool (MOAT)

Consistent tracking, uniform coding and mapping of outcomes and activities is important in research and evaluation. It minimises ambiguity and supports replicability. Using the pre-entry Mapping Outcomes and Activities Tool (pre-entry MOAT) will support the sector to design and implement robust research and evaluation.

The pre-entry MOAT visually maps the relationship between outreach activity types (e.g., mentoring), the sub-activity types nested beneath (e.g., peer-to-peer mentoring) and the outcomes that are associated with these activities (e.g., increased knowledge of higher education).

Download the pre-entry MOAT resources:

We recommend using the tool when planning and evaluating outreach programmes, which is the first step in the TASO’s Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (MEF). There are four practical steps that we suggest following:

1. Familiarise yourself with the pre-entry MOAT visual overview to gain an understanding of how the activity types, sub-types and outcomes sit together.
2. Download the pre-entry MOAT practical spreadsheet to access the list of activity types and primary outcomes associated with each activity (further guidance in the downloadable spreadsheet above).
3. Use the MOAT to develop a theory of change (Core or Enhanced) by selecting the activities and outcomes relevant to your planned programme or intervention. Alternatively, if you already have a Theory of Change, you can use the pre-entry MOAT to review it, observing the existing links between activities and outcomes in the Theory of Change to ensure that they align with the mapping presented in the tool.
4. Once you’ve developed a theory of change, you can access TASO’s common outcome measures (PDF) and the Access and Success Questionnaire (ASQ)  to identify appropriate indicators and measurement tools for the evaluation of your programme or intervention.

Important note: TASO has worked with the sector’s data tracking services – the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT), Aimhigher West Midlands (AHWM), and the East Midlands Widening Participation Research and Evaluation Partnership (EMWPREP) – to develop a separate mapping of attainment-raising activities and outcomes.