Once the extent of the impact from community benefits to-date has been explored, the governance and administration arrangements have been reviewed, and the need to galvanise any activity to ensure a long term legacy has been considered, the evaluation process should identify whether any adjustments are needed to the community action plan, any fund strategy and governance/ administration arrangements.. These should aim to ensure the community benefits package can continue to deliver on the community’s ambitions.

Changes may be required to:

  • Purposes/ outcomes and priorities
  • Other (horizontal) criteria
  • Who can receive support
  • Distribution mechanisms
  • How the availability of community benefit support is promoted
  • Application and award making processes and materials
  • Post-award administration (payments, monitoring, etc.)
  • The decision-making group and its procedures
  • The review process itself, and
  • How information on impacts and any learning is disseminated

Some of these elements, and various options within those, are described in greater detail in the Developing a Fund Strategy annex.

To what extent have the purposes and priorities in the Community Action Plan and the Fund Strategy, if there is one, (see module Creating a lasting legacy and the annex Developing a Fund Strategy) been addressed through the community benefits package to date? It may be that, after a few years, the most immediate priorities have been ‘ticked off’, and the community benefits should be focused on supporting some of the medium and longer-term outcomes and priorities.

On the other hand, if progress appears slow, do the criteria for support need to be revisited? Do the disbursement mechanisms need to be altered and/or others introduced so as to increase access? Or might some strategic investments be made that build the capacity of local groups to enable them to better deliver projects?

The Fund Strategy and distribution arrangements may need to be adjusted in response to issues such as spending too little (overall, or in relation to specific Fund purposes/priorities only) or high demand for funds (where this is beyond the amount available). Some options for either scenario are set out in the Developing a Fund Strategy annex.

The review workshop can then conclude by seeking consensus on which suggestions for improvement will be taken forward.

If time and resources allow, it may also be fruitful to include a peer review element and/or learning exchanges with other communities in similar circumstances. Funding to enable such exchanges, providing for travel and subsistence costs as well as a fee for any speaker or ‘host’ group, is available from Scottish Community Alliance through their Community Learning Exchange.

The renewable energy business does not have to be involved in the review process but may wish to be. Whatever the case, they should be provided with a report on the outcomes of it (see section 3 above) and any intended changes to delivery.