How professionalisation of outreach practitioners could improve the quality of evaluation and evidence: a proposal
Authors: Naomi Clements, Sara Davies and Anna Mountford-Zimdars
Published by: Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education
Publication date: October 2021
DOI: 10.1080/13603108.2021.1993375
Professionalising outreach and evaluation work would enhance the quality and rigour of provision, benefit widening participation students and achieve regulatory requirements.1 This article presents practitioners’ experiences of how social justice can often feel unaligned to the technical expertise required in rigorous project design and evaluation. Professionalising outreach would achieve both improved practice and meet practitioners’ needs for development and a united professional voice. A professional body sharing standard methods of practice, offering CPD and skills would elevate outreach practitioners to a ‘professional’ standing.2
1 Bowes et al. [2019]. The National Collaborative Outreach Programme End of Phase 1 report for the national formative and impact evaluations. Office for Students; Rainford [2020]. “Working with/in institutions: how policy enactment in widening participation is shaped through practitioners’ experience.” British Journal of Sociology of Education 42 (2): 287–303
2 Eraut [1994]. Developing professional knowledge and competence. Falmer Press