DHI Invitation to Quote

Defining an Impact Evaluation Framework for Health and Wellbeing Pathfinder Projects in Public and School Libraries: Invitation to Quote.

1. The requirement

Define an impact evaluation framework for a series of eight pathfinder projects in public and school
libraries which will demonstrate how libraries contribute to overarching priorities for health and care
transformation.

2. Background

The pathfinder projects are a key component of the Collective Force for Health and Wellbeing Action
Plan. This plan is led jointly by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), the Scottish Library
and Information Council (SLIC) and the Health and Social Care Alliance. It aims to strengthen the role
of public, health and school libraries as key contributors to the policy healthcare transformation aim
of shifting the balance of care from hospital to community settings. Collective Force aims to make
libraries a “Go-to” place in their communities for:

• Trusted health and well-being information
• Digital, information and health literacy skills
• Facilitated reading and storytelling for personal growth and therapeutic support
• Social interaction and empathic help and support – face-to-face and digital

These library services have a clear role to play in delivering the policy goals of enabling
independent living, self-management, prevention and early intervention, and ensuring that the right
care is delivered in the right place at the right time.

Collective Force sets out key principles for delivering on its goals. These include:

• Libraries working in collaboration, with each other, and with health and social care and third
  sector organisations.
• Seeking to address health inequalities by proactively reaching out to groups at risk of
  exclusion from health and care support – e.g. due to digital poverty or low digital literacy,
  age, ethnicity, disability, and socioeconomic status.

2.1 Pathfinder projects

Collective Force commits to delivering a series of pathfinder projects which will act as exemplars of
delivering on the aims of Collective Force. These will provide transferable learning for scale-up more
widely across libraries in all parts of Scotland:

1. Diabetes hubs – with Diabetes Scotland (6 local authorities)
2. Dementia hubs – with Alzheimer Scotland (10 local authorities)
3. Near Me virtual consultation spaces in public libraries (10 local authorities)
4. Bibliotherapy in school libraries (9 libraries)
5. Early support and signposting for self-directed support (1 local authority)
6. Outreach to care homes via mobile library and dedicated library sessions (1 local authority)
7. Virtual and augmented reality to support people with dementia and young people with
   mental wellbeing needs (2 local authorities.)
8. Two-way linkages with community link workers (1 local authority).

3. Objectives

The evaluation framework should enable tracking of progress through indicators and underpinning
evidence that reflect a sequence of outcomes in the outcomes chain illustrated below. Each
outcome in the chain is dependent on its predecessors, and on specified risks and assumptions
relating to the project and to influencers in the external environment.

The evaluation framework should specify the following elements for each pathfinder:

• A description of what success will look like – for example, what do library services, partners
  and service users want the pathfinder to achieve? What will the deliverables be? Who will
  be involved? What will they be doing differently? What will the deliverables be?
• Key performance indicators at each level in the outcomes chain
• Targets – where appropriate
• What data will be collected, by whom and when, over the next 2 years of the Collective
  Force action plan.
• Reference to how the pathfinder will support at least one inequalities group, and how to
  measure this improvement.
• Risks – and, importantly, how these risks will be mitigated.

The researcher should also record any evaluation data gathered to date.

4. Methods

The successful supplier will propose an appropriate methodology. It is suggested that this includes
focus groups or workshops and interview with the library service leads involved in each pathfinder,
and key partners – e.g. Diabetes Scotland, Alzheimer Scotland.

The Programme Director for Knowledge and Decision Support will provide guidance and contact
details for key stakeholders.

5. Deliverable

Report specifying the evaluation framework as outlined above under “Objectives.”

6. Cost and timescale

Up to £5,000 (inclusive of VAT) is available for this project, to be delivered by end of April 2023.

7. Reporting and communication

The successful supplier will report to the Programme Director for Knowledge and Decision Support
through weekly emails, and virtual meetings as required.

8. Proposal requirements

Suppliers should submit a short proposal (maximum 2 pages) specifying:

• How they will meet the requirements set out above
• Project plan to deliver within the specified timescale
• Person-hours to be allocated to the project, and daily/hourly cost
• Total cost
• Relevant skills and experience of project personnel

The proposal should be submitted to ann.wales@dhi-scotland.com by 6pm on 20th February 2023.

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