Student at computer

For the past few years TASO has been encouraging higher education providers (HEPs) to generate more Type 3 evidence – in line with the Office for Students standards of evidence – by evaluating access and success interventions using more rigorous methods.

To help providers with this work, we have employed a range of approaches, including producing evidence toolkits and online resources, running webinars and inviting HEPs to take part in dedicated evaluation projects.

Despite this work, we know that providers encounter a range of barriers to taking part in and carrying out robust evaluation methods that can generate causal evidence of impact. To continue to effectively support the sector, TASO needs to better understand the nature of these barriers and the most effective ways we can help providers overcome them.

Our new research project with The Brilliant Club and researchers from the University of Cambridge will involve engagement with a broad cross-section of stakeholders from the higher education sector to map these barriers and identify potential solutions.

Lauren Bellaera, Chief Impact and Strategy Officer at The Brilliant Club:

“We are delighted to be collaborating with TASO and researchers at the University of Cambridge on another important project for the sector, supporting higher education providers to meet regulatory standards for the evaluation of their access and success programmes.

“We are especially looking forward to consulting with a broad range of providers, from large universities to small or specialist institutions. During the project we will build an understanding of the barriers to developing causal evidence and identify how TASO can further support providers to build the evidence they need to better understand the impact of their interventions.”

Sonia Ilie, Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge: 

“Causal evidence of impact is essential for understanding how the wide range of student access and success initiatives by higher education providers support young people into and during higher education. We are looking forward to working with TASO and The Brilliant Club, and with colleagues from across the sector to understand the needs of the sector in relation to causal evaluation methods and how TASO can address these.”

The first stage of the project involves a short survey to explore how the sector is currently engaging with evaluations that can generate causal (Type 3) evidence and identify any barriers or enablers to engagement.

We would like to hear from colleagues who:

●      Work for a higher education provider in England.

●      Hold a position, at any level, with a remit to support fairer access to higher education (undergraduate or postgraduate) and fairer student outcomes

This survey has now closed 

As part of this project, The Brilliant Club will be running 90-minute virtual workshops with colleagues from across the sector in November and December 2023. In these workshops, we will be exploring the barriers to conducting evaluations that can generate Type 3 evidence and identify opportunities for support.

The Brilliant Club and researchers from the University of Cambridge were selected after an open call for suppliers in the summer of 2023.

The results of this project will be available in Spring 2024.