Monitoring & evaluation
This guidance has referred to the value in establishing service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) as ways of creating clear contractual performance targets for both local authorities and their partners.
The monitoring and evaluation of performance against these SLAs and KPIs is important to establish, and build into contract documents to ensure that there is transparency and a clear understanding of expectations.
Creating a strategy for monitoring and evaluation of the reuse service is integral to ensuring its success and improving as the project grows.
Consistent and fair monitoring and evaluation is an important part in building trust between the contracting parties and with the public – it is essential for internal reporting within local authorities and helps foster trust from those who use the services. All evidence, both anecdotal and quantifiable, of the benefits of the service should be considered as part of the monitoring of the project outcomes.
Social Investment Scotland has a wealth of information and support for monitoring impact within the third sector and is worth contacting for any local authority entering into a partnership with third sector organisations. Evaluation Support Scotland are another excellent resource for monitoring, helping the third sector measure and explain their impact.
Dumfries and Galloway Council
The main KPI for the reuse contract is waste diversion tonnages. The reuse delivery partner, the Furniture Project (Stranraer) provides a quarterly report for Dumfries and Galloway Council on waste diversion tonnages, number of customers and goods sold.
North Ayrshire Council
Within their contract with North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company must work to meet the demands of the referral system to help vulnerable families furnish their houses, with a KPI to support 50 families in the first year. They also have a requirement to provide discounted items; train a specified number of people per year; and provide the relevant skills necessary for administration and PAT testing.
Benefits of reuse
There is a wide range of benefits of reuse that can be monitored as part of your evaluation strategy. These are potential areas to consider for inclusion when deciding upon KPIs and targets for the reuse activity.
Education & Skills
It may be possible for the council education team to work closely with reuse partners to provide school workshops or student placements and work experience. There may also be opportunities for reuse partners to provide free or discounted items to schools.
In 2022, Moray Waste Busters offered £16,000 worth of goods to local schools and charities. They also allowed schools to collect books for free.
The creation of new job roles on HWRC sites through reuse activities, also allows for upskilling and training of staff.
Environmental
The environmental benefits of reuse are well documented. One of the key drivers of reuse is to reduce the volume of goods disposed of to landfill or via incineration, or recycled when they still have a useful life, thereby reducing the production of new goods and associated carbon.
By keeping items in use for longer, carbon emissions can be massively reduced. With the Scottish Government setting a target of Net Zero by 2045, reuse has been pushed up the agenda. As noted on the Data & Evidence page, capturing data and monitoring the impacts of carbon reduction through reuse activities is crucial.
Socio-economic
Not only can reuse provide an opportunity for upskilling communities, there are also opportunities for new jobs and volunteering positions to be created, providing residents with an opportunity to feel connected and valued by their community. Reuse can also provide a structured approach to the provision of skills and work-based opportunities for residents who may need support to get into work or get back to work.
Reuse is naturally labour intensive and varied, due to the number and type of items that are received and that need to be processed prior to sale; therefore, it provides the ideal opportunity for hands-on work for significant numbers of people.
Socio-economic Benefits at Transition Stirling’s Reuse Hub
Currently, approximately 50% of the workforce is made up of residents whose salaries are subsidised via an employability scheme.
There are 25 volunteering opportunities for people referred via various Council Teams, which make up approximately 50% of the volunteer base overall.
There are also 12 ‘Makers Units’ available to residents, free of charge, to upcycle and repair pre-loved items that have been donated, and sell these on as bespoke items.
