Evaluation of the knowledge transfer, innovation and advisory services programme in Wales, United Kingdom

The evaluation had three primary objectives: assess the effectiveness and efficiency of implementation, measure the scale and nature of outcomes and identify successful elements to inform the ongoing delivery and design of future programmes.

The evaluation has adopted an in-depth, longitudinal and largely qualitative approach (document reviews, consultations, focus groups and case studies) to gathering evidence against the research questions. The focus of the evaluation has been on learning about what works well (or not) to effect change within the farming businesses in Wales, outcomes and impacts attributable to the programme, and how the current delivery and future programme design can be strengthened to maximise outcomes and impacts across the sector.

Overall, the evaluation concluded that Farming Connect had delivered outcomes that would not have been achieved at all, or would have taken longer, been lower quality or less sustainable, in the absence of the programme. Moreover, the contribution of Farming Connect compared to other internal or external factors is substantial – few of the farmers consulted had made other changes in their business alongside Farming Connect support and, where they had, this made a marginal or no contribution to the outcomes. The exception was grants, which were important in enabling farmers to implement what they had learned through Farming Connect.

Rural Development Programme: UK - Welsh

Original publication date: 2021