PP18072 - Black Country Blue Network Summative Assessment

Tenders are invited to develop and deliver a summative assessment for the Black Country Blue Network that complies with and satisfies the requirements of the European Regional Development Fund.
The Black Country Blue Network project aims to create a high quality ecological network with a diverse range of habitats, centred on the area’s historically important waterways and associated green spaces. This will be achieved through a programme of infrastructure and habitat improvements along canals and rivers and other key nature greenspaces linked into this blue network. The improvements will facilitate better visitor management and improved access for local communities.

The project is a partnership between the City of Wolverhampton Council, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, the Environment Agency, Canal and River Trust and Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust. Each delivery partners are delivering project(s) which together make up the Black Country Blue Network project. The project began in January 2017 and will end March 2019.

The project is part-funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and it is a requirement of the grant to undertake a summative assessment that will be submitted 3 months before the end of the programme.

The successful provider will:
• Design a methodology to carry out the summative assessment that incorporates ERDF requirements, considers ERDF guidance and builds on the Summative Assessment Plan that has already been submitted to the Managing Authority (Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government). This plan is provided with the tender documentation.
• Collect data and evidence of benefit and impact additional to that already required for normal reporting, if necessary, to meet the needs of the summative assessment
• Complete summative assessment report and required summary findings report.