AHF introduces its first Evaluation Strategy

Since 1976 the Architectural Heritage Fund has worked with hundreds of projects to regenerate communities across the UK through the adaptation and reuse of historic buildings. Today, we launch a new strategy that sets out our approach to monitoring and evaluation, and how we intend to measure the impact of projects we invest in for communities across the country.

Our new Evaluation Strategy details a number of new measurements, both qualitative and quantitative, that will provide clearer and more accessible data. This data will help inform the development of our internal processes, provide reporting to funders and partners and be accessible to organisations across the sector. In summary, the Strategy sets out an approach that encompasses:

• A logic model of Key Performance Indicators;

• Our approach to evaluating our different programmes, including grant and loan schemes, running across the UK; and

• The use of case studies to dive deeper into the difference that individual projects are making within their communities, impacts that can difficult to aggregate across the breadth of the projects we fund (which range from historic pools to housing uses to young peoples’ projects)

The new Strategy came into effect from 1 April 2020 and our first annual Impact Report will be published in Spring 2021.

Kelcey Wilson Lee, Head of Programmes and Impact, commented:

“The adapted reuse of historic buildings can bring many varied benefits to communities, including improved streetscapes and revitalised local economies, enhanced civic pride and social inclusion. Repurposing redundant or underused heritage can support sustainability goals, offer opportunities for building and sharing skills, and promote wellbeing. Our new Evaluation Strategy will enable the AHF to demonstrate better than ever before the value that heritage-led regeneration projects brings to communities across the UK.

“Our Strategy will also outline the impact of our own support – grants, loans and advice offered at every stage in a project’s journey – on those projects we fund. Though it will take time to build up the datasets that will give us unparalleled insight into the lifespan of heritage-regeneration projects, we are excited to start and look forward to sharing early results in Spring 2021.”