Arwain DGC 2 Project Evaluation

Description

Arwain DGC (Defnydd Gwrthfioteg Cyfrifol) Cymru, brings together experienced collaborators, including key Welsh agricultural stakeholders (Menter a Busnes, Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers), academic institutions (University of Bristol, Aberystwyth Vet School) and Veterinary Delivery Partners (Iechyd Da, Milfeddygon Gogledd Cymru), to deliver a programme addressing AMR in animals and the environment. The project will be closely aligned to Welsh Government’s 5-year Implementation plan for AMR in animals and the environment. As a result of the success of the Arwain DGC programm, Welsh Governament have confirmed initial funding up to 31 st March 2024, with the programme’s current schedule of activities continuing until 31 st of March 2025. This next phase of the project builds on the original work of Arwain DGC, the project internally will be recognised as Arwain DGC 2. The successful supplier of the evaluation service will have access to the initial evaluations, and are expected to build on these reports to reflect on the outputs and outcomes of Arwain DGC 2. Arwain DGC 2 is seeking to appoint a project evaluator for the duration of the project until 31 st of March 2025 (period from 1 Aprill 2024 to 31 st of March 2025 is subject to funding). This will include providing guidance to the Project Manager on improving current monitoring and reporting systems and producing an initial, mid-term and final evaluation report on the implementation and progress of the project. It is anticipated that this will include an assessment of: Process & Monitoring: Project implementation, progress against outputs and outcomes compared with the requirements. Evaluate and develop the project’s monitoring and reporting systems to measure progress towards achievement of outputs. Outputs: The independent evaluator will assess each activity against the outputs and outcomes as described in the specification document (shared in advanced of the inception meeting). An ongoing output in delivering the project, will be for each project partner and the external evaluator to review and reflect on what effect each workstream has had on AMR and infection. Outcomes: The evaluator will need to measure the impact of each workstream, and assess how the programme has contributed to the overall aims and objectives. Working with the project team, the independent evaluators will also be expected to advise on the best metric to measure impact of each workstream. The evaluators will have open access to all workstreams of the programme, and will undertake an impact and counterfactual assessment in order to ascertain the difference made by Arwain DGC 2, and to make an assessment of impact relative to a scenario in which the operation had not taken place. As part of the impact and counterfactual assessment, the evaluator will need to take into account any external factors which may have also contributed to observed outcomes, to provide an accurate measure of impact as possible to Arwain DGC 2. Impact: Achievements against objectives, assessment of broader outcomes and impacts of the project, unintended consequences, recommendations for all activities listed in section 2 Project Description. The evaluation should illustrate how the project has contributed to the aims and objectives of the Welsh Government’s Antimicrobial Resistance in Animals and Environment Five Year Implementation Plan for Wales, The Wales AH&W Framework Implementation Plan, The UK 20-year vision for antimicrobial resistance and all cross-cutting themes. Behavioural Change: We also want to evaluate behavioural change of the stakeholders, particularly vets and farmers as a result of participating in the project.