Context
Royal Botanical Gardens Kew and Wakehurst run a wide range of community programmes — including providing tours and creative courses for BSL users, visually impaired visitors, people at risk of social isolation, those with learning disabilities, and ESOL learners.
The teams had already developed a theory of change and wanted to take the next step: creating an evaluation framework and toolkit that could help measure impact across these programmes. The focus was on using creative, accessible methods that would work for all audiences and reflect the inclusive spirit of their work.
We took a collaborative, co-produced approach from the very beginning. Together, we ran workshops with staff to understand their goals for evaluation and the context of their work. We then worked directly with participants from community programmes to test and prototype creative evaluation methods that would feel engaging and inclusive.
The process moved through several stages, allowing both staff and participants to reflect, build on shared learning, and shape the approach together. We also partnered with an access consultant to make sure all methods met best practice standards for accessibility.
The project resulted in a practical evaluation framework, complete with clear principles, templates, a question bank, and a suite of creative methods tailored to community engagement.
Beyond the toolkit itself, the process brought the Kew and Wakehurst community teams closer together — building a sense of shared identity and purpose. It also strengthened reflective practice, giving staff the skills and confidence to lead their own bespoke evaluations and embed learning throughout programme delivery.