A detailed description of the approach taken by the team to support programme evaluation and synthesis is available on the project wiki. Project method and approaches

In summary our approach to synthesis aimed to support the following functions:

• Providing mechanisms for projects to identify key evaluation questions and share methods used across the programme
• Enabling the projects to feed their findings into a framework which reflects strand and programme wide issues
• Supporting synthesis of key messages and issues and highlight areas of concern or that may require action
• Providing feedback to the Programme Team on issues, challenges, successes and likely outcomes and outputs.
• Reflecting the stages of the projects throughout the programme and ultimately providing a series of mechanisms to disseminate to the wider communities.
• Providing a series of mapping approaches that will be valid and appropriate for future iterations of the UKOER Programme.

Framework Tool

The team developed a generic framework tool which was shared with project teams and programme support teams. This framework provided a strong foundation and common language for collating data from projects. It allowed us to structure our interventions with projects, and was used a means of evaluating the 'openness' of their outcomes. This working framework was developed throughout the year in collaboration with the support team so that support can be focused on those areas identified as most challenging or interesting, and so that evidence about the effectiveness of support in different areas could also be evaluated. The resulting 'final' Pilot Programme Synthesis Framework represents an holistic view of the pilot programme and includes links to project and support team outputs that illustrate or provide evidence in each of the areas.

Strand-specific activities

In order to support the three stands in an appropriate way, strand-specific evaluation activities addressed how the different communities and cultures are progressing towards openness in their shared practice. These aimed to examine social, technical, pedagogical and legal / organisational issues in each strand, and provide a synthesis account detailing barriers and opportunities for change. Each of the strand-specific activities led to the development of separate strand framework tools.

Synthesis

Synthesis of the separate strand outcomes and outputs have fed back into the 'final' version of the framework. It is anticipated that this framework will continue to support OER Programme activities and will continue to be developed after the pilot programme.