Case Study: Evaluation of UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund in Sevenoaks

Case Studies, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Project Overview

Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) commissioned CAG Consultants to conduct an independent, evaluation of the impact of a four-year £1.5 million portfolio comprising 15 UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) projects and 25 Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) capital grants between 2022 and May 2026. CAG assessed programme delivery, process governance, and overall effectiveness across three core investment priorities: Communities and Place, Supporting Local Business, and People and Skills.

CAG’s Role & Evaluation Scope

CAG Consultants designed and executed a multi-phase evaluation framework structured to examine process efficiency and local delivery:

  • Evaluation Framework & Logic Model: Built a comprehensive logic model mapping £1.5 million in inputs, activities, outputs, and intended long-term impacts to establish a clear theory of change.
  • Process & Governance Evaluation: Evaluated council administration, delegated operational decision-making, cross-district collaboration with West Kent authorities, and project monitoring arrangements.
  • Stakeholder Consultations: Formulated tailored topic guides and conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with council officers, delivery partners, and local stakeholders.
  • Beneficiary Primary Research: Analysed responses to surveys across grant recipients and supported organisations to gather primary evidence on accessibility and user experience, analysing 76 total responses.
  • Data Synthesis & Reporting: Synthesised qualitative interview transcripts, project closure forms, and quantitative monitoring data to produce the main evaluation report, a standalone executive summary, and strategic recommendations.

Delivering Value & Strategic Insight

CAG’s evaluation confirmed that SDC’s flexible, locally tailored delivery model successfully maximised modest funding allocations. CAG translated project learnings into nine strategic recommendation areas—focusing on whole-council alignment, simplified grant applications, targeted rural outreach, and proportionate monitoring frameworks, providing SDC with an actionable roadmap for future place-based economic development

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