Local Housing Strategies Guidance

Monitoring and Evaluation

This assessment criteria looked at the robustness of the monitoring and evaluation framework for the LHS and recognised any links with the monitoring and evaluation of other plans and strategies.  Baseline information and key performance indicators should have been provided and it should have been clear who was responsible.  It should have set out any evidence of how key partners are committed to the framework and how residents are to be involved on an ongoing basis.  Arrangements should have been made for independent or external validation of any monitoring and evaluation assessment.  It should have been clear how improved understanding of housing market needs and intelligence will be fed into the framework on an ongoing basis.

Strengths

In general, those LHS which were assessed as having dealt with this criteria well have produced a robust monitoring and evaluation framework which will effectively measure progress towards meeting LHS strategic objectives.

Weaknesses

However, the issues which the assessment process identified as being weaker typically included no key performance indicators being provided to enable progress to be measured.  It was often unclear what proposals there were for the involvement of residents and communities in the monitoring and evaluation of the LHS.  In many cases no arrangements have been made for ongoing independent or external validation of any monitoring and evaluation.

Examples of Good Practice

Examples of good practice for how Monitoring and Evaluation were dealt with can be found in the following LHS.  For further information on these you should contact the Councils directly:

Aberdeenshire Council

City of Edinburgh Council

The overall gradings achieved from the assessment of the Monitoring and Evaluation critical area were as follows: