Education and Youth
Parents, teachers and administrators are required to make difficult decisions about a child’s education but are faced with limited resources and competing priorities. Being able to access, understand, and act upon data that informs those decisions is an invaluable resource. Matrix helps educators make sense of the information available to them to achieve the greatest impact while expending the fewest resources. We aid our clients in gathering all relevant data, benchmarking performance against the best practices in the field, and incorporating knowledge from the global evidence base to ensure informed decision-making. We bring in lessons learned from other sectors and assess the costs and benefits of different interventions. By presenting relevant information clearly, Matrix fosters an informed decision maker, equipped with the tools to create a better educational environment.
Effectiveness of Support Measures
| Recent Project: | The Effectiveness of Support Measures alongside Anti-Social Behaviour Enforcement Action for Young People |
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| Client: | UK Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) |
| Timeframe: | 2008-2011 |
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In March 2008, the Youth Taskforce – set up by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) – published an Action Plan to take forward its key mission of improving the behaviour and opportunities of vulnerable young people. To achieve this, the YTF is investing £13m over the next three years, setting up 52 Challenge and Support Projects in areas where crime and anti-social behaviour are a problem. In October 2008, Matrix was commissioned to evaluate the use and effectiveness of these support measures, alongside anti-social behaviour enforcement action. The primary objectives of Matrix’s research are:
- to understand what support is provided to young people who receive different types of anti-social behaviour enforcement action and how this varies by type of behaviour and type of young person
- to measure the effectiveness of the combination of support and enforcement in reducing anti-social behaviour and young people’s progress into the criminal justice process;
- to identify and measure young people’s outcomes when they receive a combination of support and enforcement;
- to understand the relationship between the quality of support and enforcement received by young people and their subsequent outcomes.
The overarching approach is to understand ‘what works, for whom and in what circumstances’. This research is scheduled to continue until March 2011.
Value for Money
| Recent Project: | Value for Money of the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund |
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| Client: | Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs |
| Timeframe: | 2007 |
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Matrix Insight and Horwath Consulting Ireland were commissioned to undertake a value for money study of the Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF). The aim of the review was to analyse what has been achieved by public expenditure under the fund and to inform future policy making regarding continuity, development and possible expansion. The review examined the structures, effectiveness, efficiency and value for money components of the YPFSF. A series of consultations were undertaken within the department and with other funding streams. In addition, a series of site visits were completed of the more recent capital projects and quantitative analysis was undertaken to compare trends in youth crime and school attendance, and to provide preliminary unit cost estimates for YPFSF funded schemes. Finally, a value for money analysis was conducted to evaluate the ‘effectiveness’ of the fund and the interventions being provided and the unit cost of the YPFSF funded projects.