Theory of Change Evaluation - Zero Carbon Britain and Hub and Innovation Lab Project

Description

Statement of purpose This is the Centre for Alternative Technology’s (CAT’s) Invitation to Tender (ITT) for a contractor to provide a Theory of Change (ToC) evaluation of its Zero Carbon Britain (ZCB) Hub and Innovation Lab (HIL) project. CAT wishes to appoint a contractor for a period of 30 months - the remaining period of the Hub and Innovation Lab 3-year project Background CAT is an educational charity dedicated to researching and communicating positive solutions for environmental change. We speak to government and campaigners about policies that would help create a zero carbon Britain; we train students in all aspects of sustainability; we help schoolchildren to understand the importance of action on climate change; and we give advice to householders on what they can do in their own homes. CAT has received a donation from the Moondance Foundation to establish the 3-year ZCB-HIL project, recruiting 3 new full-time staff and seconding 2 existing CAT staff. This experienced team has been brought together from a diverse range of backgrounds in campaigning and advocacy, co-creation and stakeholder engagement, modelling and optimisation, project management, education and outreach. CAT’s ZCB research over the last 13 years has demonstrated that as a nation we have all the technology we need to live healthy, happy, comfortable lives with net zero carbon emissions. We now need to get on with making the changes required to achieve this. Reports are freely available here: https://www.cat.org.uk/info-resources/zero-carbon-britain/ The Project The ZCB-HIL team aims to increase the capacity of councils, communities and organisations to act on the climate and ecological emergency, create systemic change and increase resilience to climate change. We will build upon CAT’s ZCB end-point vision, using this to inspire people that a healthier, happier, and comfortable zero carbon future is possible and preferable. Drawing on the ZCB legacy, we know we already have the technology to reach net-zero so we will focus on overcoming the political, cultural, economic and psychological barriers that will lead to the systemic change that is needed. We have recently completed a strategy development process which identified six key objectives for the next 2.5 years: 1) Provide a user-friendly online platform for accessing diverse resources and enabling coordinated local climate action. 2) Increase the knowledge, skills and capacity of councils, communities and organisations to reduce emissions through the delivery of ZCB training and access to resources and peer learning. 3) Identify key barriers and their solutions to achieving net zero through a series of innovation labs. 4) Inform policy making, from local councils to national governments 5) Identify and secure further funding and establish income streams in order for the hub and lab to thrive and deliver beyond 2023. 6) Support CAT’s organisational strategy and contribute towards the delivery of its mission. The ZCB-HIL team have developed a Theory of Change as the basis for project evaluation and is in the process of recruiting an advisory group to provide diverse stakeholder perspectives and take a co-creative approach to the theory of change, strategy, and project activities throughout the life of the project. This is likely to be first convened in September 2020. Our aims and objectives will be delivered primarily through three overarching methods: an online resource hub, an innovation lab and training, all supported, at key times, by policy and communications activities. As mentioned previously, we believe that co-creative processes through collaboration with key stakeholders and partners is crucial to the success of our work, and this will be integral in all of our delivery methods. Specification This specification will form the basis for evaluating the proposals. We require a specialist theory of change evaluation supplier to: -Collaborate with the ZCB-HIL team to establis