Evaluation Specialist

**Context**

2023 is an exciting year for Touchstones, we are embarking on our first major capital project in over 20 years. Enabled by support from Arts Council CDF funding, the project will transform our spaces, tailoring them to the needs of Rochdale’s communities as they are today.

As part of this transformation we will radically reimagine our traditional museum space from a static, predominantly object-based display focussed on a narrow interpretation of Rochdale’s heritage, to an engaging and vibrant space (working title ‘The Dining
Room’/’TDR Space’), designed to be welcoming to all communities, and to tell the heritage stories of Rochdale’s diverse cultures. Using the unifying theme of food as a starting point, the space will become a communal eating area complete with a café and spaces for food-related activities, enriched by innovative heritage displays that will draw on often unseen items from our collections complemented by the stories and contributions of local communities.

Throughout the redevelopment we will be working with representatives from diverse communities across Rochdale to inform and shape every aspect of the reimagined museum.
We will commission artists to work with these core community members (the Community and Young Curators we will be working with to curate the opening displays) as well as reach out to communities across the Borough of Rochdale to create 3 heritage-inspired artistic interventions responding to the theme and unique heritage of the space being restored and revealed through the capital redevelopment project.

**Brief**

We are looking for an experienced specialist in evaluation who can help us assess our success and impact through the project in meeting the following outcomes:
**Heritage**
- New objects on display and new approaches to interpretation and future collecting.
- Displays and interpretation include the heritage contributions of people from

Rochdale whose voices have traditionally been excluded.

**People**
- Increased confidence and self-belief among Community Curators.
- New career aspirations among the Young Curators.
- Increased interest in heritage and basic skills developed for participants.
- Increased well-being for the participants.
- Enjoyment and connectivity for the participants.

**Community**
- Wider community members feel welcome at Touchstones and represented in the museum’s displays and programming.
- Events and activities celebrate diversity and foster social cohesion.

**Environment**
- Participants consider environmental responsibility and impact, food poverty and waste.
- Contribution to Touchstones’ goals to reduce its carbon footprint.

**Role**

The specialist will be expected to:

- Develop a logic model and evaluation framework for the project, based on the identified outcomes, working with the Evaluation Co-ordinator at Touchstones.
- Identify the methodologies and tools to carry out the evaluation.
- Work with the project team (including consultation with the participants themselves) to develop quantitative and qualitative data gathering approaches.
- Plan and facilitate 4 progress, review and reflection sessions and write up.
- Oversee data analysis from the project.
- Carry out primary qualitative interviews with participants and community members.
- Create an interim report.
- Deliver a final report bringing together the different insight gathered and telling the story of the project - to include presentation and final reflection.

**Milestones**
- **January 2024 - **Devise evaluation framework.
- February - March 2024 - Conduct the first progress, review and reflection session.
- April - September 2024 - Conduct 3 more progress, review and reflection sessions.
- **June 2025** - Submit an interim report.
- May 2026 - Submit the final report.

**Fee**

The total fee (including any travel, materials and costs) is £10,750 (exclusive of VAT) calculated at 21.5 days at a daily rate of £500 per day.

**How to apply**

If you are interested in being considered for this piece to work, please send a current
CV and a short statement outlining the skills and experience you can bring to the role to

**Job Type**: Freelance

**Salary**: £500.00 per day

**Benefits**:

- Company pension

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday
- Weekend availability

Ability to Commute:

- Rochdale (required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Rochdale