Alcohol Impact Monitoring and evaluation Rachel Drayson Insight manager rachel.drayson@nus.org.uk 07876 860 324
Why should we monitor and evaluate?
Monitoring and evaluating Alcohol Impact is important Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is an essential part of an effective project - Without it, you won t know what you re achieving - It will help you learn what is/isn t working (so you can adapt) - It will help others learn from what you are doing - Finally, it will help others judge your effectiveness (and resource you accordingly) In short, M&E is primarily there to enable learning and thereby deliver change: Learning and change are intertwined
M&E feeds into project delivery and development Consequences and other changes Acting New mental model Discovering Choosing Previous mental model Argyris & Schon s Double Loop Learning (1978)
What are we trying to achieve and how?
M&E research objectives going forward To understand the relationship between students and alcohol, including behaviours including: Individual alcohol consumption habits and levels Alcohol consumption culture on campus Academic achievement Welfare and wellbeing Alcohol related crime Experiences of initiatives promoting responsible alcohol consumption To understand what influence activities taking place under the umbrella of Alcohol Impact have on student attitudes and behaviours in these areas, and why. To understand the impact of participating in Alcohol Impact on the partnership itself.
Research activities Programme activities NUS carries out research activities throughout the Alcohol Impact programme Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Delivery and support Launch Audit Launch Audit Launch Audit Sept 16 Mar 17 Sept 17 Mar 18 Sept 18 Mar 19 Students and alcohol survey Student focus group [audit only] Partnership interviews [audit only] Students and alcohol survey Student focus group [audit only] Partnership interviews [audit only] Students and alcohol survey Student focus group [audit only] Partnership interviews [audit only]
M&E is also built into the criteria within the category of Knowledge and understanding AI- 01: The Partnership has completed all central NUS surveys so we can assess the impact of Alcohol Impact. AI-02: The Partnership has taken proactive steps to understand the types, or groupings, of students that might be vulnerable to irresponsible alcohol consumption. AI -03: Within the current academic year, the Partnership has taken proactive steps to understand the characteristics, attitudes and opinions of students that do not drink alcohol. AI 06: The Partnership has engaged one or more academic members of staff in primary research relating to Alcohol Impact within the last two years.
M&E is also built in to the programme elsewhere within the criteria Collaboration, commitment and intent AI-09: The Partnership has set Key Performance Indicators relating to alcoholrelated issues and behaviours and regularly collects data to monitor progress against these to include one or more under the following themes: Irresponsible alcohol consumption (pre-drinking, binge-drinking, over-consumption of alcohol) health and wellbeing, academic attainment, alcohol related crime. Interventions AI-33: The Partnership has completed its own evaluation of all alcohol related initiatives taking place. Impact and outcomes AI-29: The Partnership can demonstrate that it has significantly progressed its action plan/and or met a good number of its KPIs. AI-30: The Partnership can demonstrate positive outcomes for its students as a result of Alcohol Impact to include one or more of the following themes: improved welfare and wellbeing, improved academic attainment, reduction in alcohol related crime, irresponsible consumption (predrinking/binge drinking) overconsumption). AI-31: The Partnership can demonstrate substantive progress in changing cultures around responsible alcohol consumption on campus.
M&E support throughout Alcohol Impact NUS can support your M&E through: Guidance on fieldwork for central research surveys and audit focus groups Toolkit for evaluating interventions, including evaluation planning template, research methods handbook, participant survey template Template for tracking data gathered http://alcoholimpact.nus.org.uk/resource-bank BUT remember to access the expertise within your institution alongside these resources
What do know about students and alcohol?
Existing data? What kinds of data do you already collect? Have you already carried out research into students relationship with alcohol at your institution?
Through Alcohol Impact, we re developing an evidence base on students and alcohol 2014-15 (pilot year) 2015-16 (ongoing programme) Three rounds of survey research, once per term resulting in c.12,500 responses across the 7 pilot institutions and 1 control Annual survey research in November, resulting in c.13,500 responses in 2015 Student focus groups in each of the 7 pilot institutions Student photo diary in each of the 7 pilot institutions Interviews with students union, institution and community partners in Partnerships being audited Optional student focus groups in Partnerships being audited Interviews with students union, institution and community partners in 7 pilot institutions
Alcohol consumption Patterns and habits 30% Respondents report drinking alcohol 2-3 times a week 17% Respondents say they don t currently drink alcohol 67% Respondents regularly start drinking at home / at a friends house before going out 36% Respondents regularly deliberately get drunk at home before going out
Where are students drinking alcohol? 47% Local bar 34% 26% 24% 20% Students union nightclub Local nightclub At home / in my accommodation Local pub B7. If you are drinking, how often do you tend to drink in each of the following places? [Responses shown for More than once a week and About once a week ]
Alcohol consumption Patterns and habits 40% Respondents drink alcohol with the intention of getting drunk at least once a week 23% Respondents drink alcohol without the intention of getting drunk but end up getting drunk anyway at least once a week 34% Respondents take part in drinking games most or every time they drink 30% Respondents buy larger measures of alcohol because they re on offer most or every time they drink 27% Respondents, most or every time they drink, have felt their friends expect them to drink alcohol
Influences on drinking behaviour Peer pressure: A third reported feeling that their friends expected them to drink regularly and get drunk BUT three quarters agreed that students drink in order to fit in with their peers. Drinking in rounds: Sometimes on nights out, I always have a drink in my hand, I don t know where it came from, but one of my friends gave it to me. Costs: Because like in some cases you get 5 Jagerbombs for 5. It s like Yes!. Socialising: I don t want to say confident when I m drunk, but if I saw somebody I d probably have a chat to them and it doesn't matter. If I meet people in the SU, I m not going to dance to the music if I haven't had a drink.
Other influences on drinking behaviour First years are more likely than other year groups to drink 2-3 days a week. They re also more likely to say they drink to get drunk. UK students are more likely to say they drink to get drunk more than once a week than those from within the EU, and from outside the EU. I heard about drinking on campus in the UK before I came, but I m quite surprised like students can really get drunk here and they re quite rowdy. I admire the fact that a lot of first years are studying harder here, in Malta that doesn t happen. Students who take part in sports clubs are more likely to report drinking 2-3 times a week than those taking part in other types of activity.
Impacts: health and wellbeing Over 80% agreed that few university students worried about how much alcohol will damage their health. Two thirds of survey respondents experienced vomiting and feeling embarrassed about things they had said or done due to drinking alcohol. Over half of survey respondents were unable to remember what happened the night before due to drinking alcohol. Half noted taking risks with their personal safety (such as walking home alone) as a result of drinking alcohol. I walked home like through Canal Street like through all these dark alleyways by myself, like falling all over the place. Like anything could have happened and it wasn t until the next day that I realised just how dangerous it was.
Impacts: Academic achievement Approximately half of survey respondents report missing a seminar / lecture / class at university as a result of drinking alcohol. Focus group participants noted the impact of spending on alcohol on overall budgets, resulting in a lack of resources to purchase course materials. Some focus group participants were aware of the consequences of alcohol consumptions in terms of sanctions within their university: Some universities have kicked people out for their behaviour outside of uni.
Impacts: Alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour Two thirds of survey respondents reported that they hadn t carried out any criminal or anti-social behaviours as a result of alcohol consumption. Of those who did, the most common experience was getting into fights and arguments (approximately 35% with people they know and 25% with strangers). Around 10% of respondents reported causing damage to the place where they live. Under 10% of respondents reported being a victim of crime. Of these respondents, half identified being the victim of verbal abuse, a third had experienced physical abuse, and 21% report experiencing sexual assault.
Non-drinkers Attitudes and experiences 31% Respondents who identify as non-drinkers attribute this to religious or cultural reasons 16% Respondents who identify as non-drinkers say it is because they don t like the effect alcohol has on them 19% Respondents who identify as non-drinkers say it is because they don t like the taste of alcohol 39% Respondents who identify as non-drinkers say they never feel that their friends expect them to drink 18% Respondents who identify as non-drinkers say they feel that their friends expect them to drink most of the time
Any questions? Rachel Drayson Insight manager rachel.drayson@nus.org.uk 07876 860 324