LEGAL CAPABILITY FOR EVERYDAY LIFE ( PART 3 )

January 2013

Report: Legal Capability for Everyday Life Evaluation Report
Report commissioned by: Lisa Wintersteiger, Law for Life
Report author: Liz Mackie, The Gilfillan Partnership

 

1.4 About the project evaluation

The Gilfillan Partnership was commissioned to carry out an external evaluation of the Legal Capability for Everyday Life project. The external evaluation was required to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the Legal Capability for Everyday Life project, and to test the practicalities of using the PLE evaluation framework to evaluate a PLE initiative.

To evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the Legal Capability for Everyday Life project, the evaluation assesses whether the project achieved its aims and intended outcomes. To test the PLE evaluation framework, the evaluation was carried out using (or adapting) indicators, methods and guidance detailed in the PLE evaluation framework document.

The project evaluation used the following methods:

  • Use of ‘before’ and ‘after’ questionnaires with all participants. Each participant was asked to complete a questionnaire at the beginning of the first session. This questionnaire was intended to establish a baseline for participants of their level of legal capability before taking part in the PLE course. Participants were then asked to complete a similar questionnaire at the end of the last session, designed to measure any increases in legal capability over the course of the programme. The before and after questionnaires used 13 indicators of legal capability which were derived from the PLE evaluation framework. The indicators are shown in Table II, which also shows how they fit within the PLE evaluation framework
  • Use of control groups. Each partner organisation agreed to identify a control group of about 10 service users who were similar to the project participants but who were not taking part in the project. The control groups were to complete the same before and after questionnaires at around the same time as the project participants. The intention was to provide a control for any changes to legal capability that may have occurred over the project period, in order to ensure that any changes for the participant group could be attributed to their participation in the project.
  • Observation of training session. The evaluators participated in one session of each programme; the first session of the course which took place at Attend/DLS, and the final sessions of the courses with Paiwand and Community Links. As well as observing the sessions, we talked informally with participants, staff, volunteers and trainers.
  • Interviews with partner organisations. These interviews took place after the PLE courses had ended and invited partners to reflect on the experience of participating in this pilot initiative and what they had learned from their involvement.
  • Review session with the Law for Life project team. This session took place midway through the programme delivery period. It focused on the project experience to date and lessons emerging from this.

Table II: PLE evaluation framework and indicators used in the Legal Capability for Everyday
Life evaluation

PLE evaluation framework: evaluation
measures		 Indicators used in the Legal Capability for
Everyday Life evaluation
Domain 1: Recognising and framing the legal dimension of issues and situations
1. Through PLE, participants learn more
about the concepts of rights and
obligations as a means of recognising
and framing law-related issues.		 1. How confident are you that you understand
your legal rights and obligations?
2. Have you ever had to deal with a law-related
issue?
2. Participants are able to apply learning
about the concepts of rights and
obligations to law-related issues in their
lives.
3. Through PLE, participants learn to
identify that civil law might be relevant to
deal with issues in their lives.		 3. Do you understand the difference between civil
and criminal law?
4. Through PLE, participants feel more
confident about explaining an everyday
issue and asking/answering questions
about it.
Domain 2: Finding out more about the legal dimension of issues and situations
5. Through PLE, participants learn what
rights and obligations apply to a particular
issue.
6. Through PLE, participants learn how to
find out what steps are involved in
dealing with a law-related issue.
7. Through PLE, participants learn how to
find out more about a law-related issue.		 4. What sources of information would you use to
find out more about a law-related issue?
8. Through PLE, participants learn how to
critically assess different sources of
information.		 5. When you are deciding what sources of
information or advice to use about law-related
issues, how important are each of the following
to you? [cost, access, impartiality,
recommendation]
9. Through PLE, participants learn how to
assess when they can deal with a law
related issue themselves and when they
need expert advice.		 6. How confident are you that you know when you
need to get expert legal help to deal with a
situation?
10. Through PLE, participants learn about
different sources of advice and how to
choose one that meets their needs.		 7. Do you agree with this statement: “If I had a
law-related issue that I needed help to deal
with, I would know where to get advice.”?
11. Through PLE, participants are better able
to identify the obstacles, risks and
consequences of law-related issues
Domain 3: Dealing with law-related issues
12. Participants are able to apply information
or advice to law-related issues.		 8. How well have you dealt with the law-related
issues that you have experiences in the pa

 

PLE evaluation framework: evaluation
measures		 Indicators used in the Legal Capability for
Everyday Life evaluation
9. If the same law-related issues happened in the
future, how well would you be able to deal with
them?
10. How confident are you that you can get the best
result out of a legal situation?
13. Through PLE, participants learn about
different courses of action for dealing with
law-related issues.
14. Through PLE, participants learn how to
critically assess different courses of
action for dealing with law-related issues.
15. Through PLE, participants feel able to
plan and follow-through a course of
action to deal with a law-related issue		 11. Do you agree with this statement: “I am good at
taking action and seeing things through to the
end.”?
16. Through PLE, participants learn to
organise and keep track.		 12. Do you agree with this statement: “I am well
organised and can easily find relevant
paperwork and correspondence when I need
it.”?
17. Through PLE, participants learn how to
communicate appropriately and
effectively as a way of dealing with law
related issues.
18. Through PLE, participants learn how to
manage their feelings appropriately and
effectively.
Domain 4: Engaging and influencing
19. Through PLE, participants become aware
of issues that might impact positively or
negatively on their lives and the lives of
others.
20. Through PLE, participants learn to
engage with and influence the world in
which they live.
21. Through PLE, participants learn how to
seek changes in the laws and procedures
that affect their lives and the lives of
others.		 13. How much do you know about ways of seeking
to make changes in laws and legal procedures?

 

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