News

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Evaluation of the Marie Collins Foundation Lived Experience Group

1. Overview

The Marie Collins Foundation (MCF) is seeking an evaluation partner to help us understand the impact of our Lived Experience Group and how well we are supporting its members.

Findings from the evaluation will inform our future strategy for working with people with lived experience.

The duration of the evaluation project is from April 2025 to December 2025. The total budget for the evaluation is £10,000. Proposals should be submitted by 28^th March 2025.

1. 1. About the Marie Collins Foundation

Marie Collins Foundation (MCF), founded in 2011, is a charity based in the UK that is leading the way both nationally and internationally when it comes to responding when a child has been the victim of technology-assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TACSA).  We are dedicated to supporting victims of TACSA on their recovery journey, to go on to live safe and fulfilling lives. In summary, MCF use our expertise to:

• Support children, young people and their families affected by technology-assisted child sexual abuse by working with them directly and indirectly – directly by supporting individuals and their families, and indirectly through advocacy and education.
• Provide training both nationally and internationally that promotes a victim focussed and recovery approach for professionals and advice to those helping children in their recovery.
• Influence policy and decision-makers at local, national and international levels and supporting victims and survivors to have a voice through our active victim and survivor network.
• Collaborate with partners to raise awareness of the challenges and emerging behaviours impacting children and young people and their use of the internet and mobile technologies
• Engage national and international governments to initiate sustainable development of national infrastructures to improve child protection services and appropriate responses to their recovery needs
• Identify gaps in existing research and advise on new academic studies
• Remain at the forefront of the ongoing public debate and engage the media regarding the impact of online abuse on children and young people.

1. 2. Background to the RFP

Our Lived Experience Group (LEG) is made up of 10 adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. Members of the group have a wide range of experiences including technology-assisted abuse, familial abuse, trafficking, image-based abuse, and child sexual exploitation. They are passionate about using their experiences to improve outcomes for the victims and survivors of yesterday and the victims of today. The LEG is survivor-led in all aspects. It is co-ordinated by our Head of Advocacy and our Victim and Survivor Advocate, both of whom have lived experience of TACSA.

The LEG has collaborated with a range of external partners including frontline practitioners, researchers, policy makers and industry professionals. They have created resources based on their experience of what is needed to support victims and their recovery journey. They have presented at conferences, webinars, and other events including at the House of Lords. They have co-designed research questions and protocols. They have worked with the MCF team on the development of training and resources. They have contributed to consultations, for example Ofcom, Limitation Law in Child Sexual Abuse Cases and the Victim’s Bill, to name a few.

We engage with the LEG through varied communication methods, tailored to their diverse needs. We maintain regular contact through monthly drop-in calls, quarterly one-on-one check-in meetings, and an ongoing WhatsApp group, with engagement frequency varying based on individual project involvement. Our project meetings are typically held virtually, with minimal written material shared beforehand, making it optional for those who prefer to prepare. This flexible approach ensures all voices are heard and engagement remains accessible and supportive.

The LEG is being funded by the Oak Foundation for the period of July 2023 – December 2025. The first 12 months were dedicated to formalising the structures and processes for the group and working with members to develop their advocacy strategy to inform their activities over the remaining funded period.

The purpose of the OAK funding is:

• To build the capacity of the MCF Lived Experience Group whose individual experiences of child sexual abuse and insights means they are best placed to truly make things better for victims of child sexual abuse.
• To develop a robust advocacy strategy for a co-ordinated, targeted and forensic approach to have maximum impact on informing responses, seeking solutions and advancing action to combat technology-assisted child sexual abuse.

Key Objectives for the funding:

• The Lived Experience Group is well supported to undertake their work by the MCF team with staff dedicated to their work.
• Membership of the Lived Experience Group safely increased in both capacity and diversity of experiences within the Lived Experience Group.
• Members of the Lived Experience Group are confident in their advocacy and leadership activities.
• Therapeutic support is in place for LEG members.
• New and creative ways of bringing people with lived experience directly to those that need to hear it are acted upon in an ethical and safe way.
• Opportunities to influence the system to change are identified and acted upon.
• The barriers to victims being able to seek help are reduced
• Work of the lived experience group is survivor led and informs the priorities of the Marie Collins Foundation.

2. Evaluation specification

It is essential that our work is guided by individuals with experience of TACSA. Their insights and perspectives help us improve our support for victims and provide a strong voice for change in the systems that are intended to support and protect them. This evaluation is important in helpful us to understand how well we are doing this and how we can improve in the future.

1. 1. Purpose of the evaluation

The evaluation will assess the extent to which the objectives of the Oak Foundation funding have been met, specifically.

• The effectiveness of MCF’s support for LEG members to carry out survivor-led advocacy.
• The impact of participation in the Lived Experience Group (LEG) on its members and how their involvement contributes to any personal and collective development.
• The impact of the LEG’s advocacy on MCF’s work and external stakeholders.
  2. Evaluation questions

We have developed the following evaluation questions, building on the LEG objectives. The evaluation should address these questions in line with the objectives outlined in Section X, and we are happy to refine them further in collaboration with the evaluators

EQ1. To what extent is the LEG being delivered in a way that is safe and supportive for LEG group members? What factors contribute to a safe and supportive environment?

EQ2. To what extent do LEG members feel that the group is survivor-led. What factors have contributed to this perception?

EQ3. What impact, positive and/or negative, has participating in the LEG had on group members? What factors have contributed to this?

EQ4. What role has the LEG played in shaping MCF’s activities, and what specific changes or impacts have resulted from its involvement? How has the LEG’s contribution influenced the overall effectiveness and impact of these activities?

1. 3. Evaluation approach

We are open to suggestions on the best approach to addressing the evaluation questions and welcome your ideas, keeping in mind the limitations of our budget and the fact that the Lived Experience Group (LEG) is already operational. Some considerations for the evaluation include:

• We expect the evaluation to be primarily qualitative and welcome creative and engaging methods for working with the LEG.
• We would like to benefit from learning during the evaluation, so a developmental approach may be appropriate.
• The evaluation should take an equitable approach and be delivered in a manner that is sensitive and appropriate to the needs of this group. Some members of the group have additional needs, such as dyslexia.
• The focus will likely be on LEG members, MCF staff, and a small number of stakeholders with whom we work closely on projects, such as academics, NGO partner staff, and police. We can facilitate access to these stakeholders.
• We can provide access to relevant monitoring data, such as attendance records and feedback received.
• 4. Evaluation deliverables
• Inception meeting (April 2025): Including outline plan for evaluation.
• Monthly progress updates.
• Final report (December 2025): An accessible and engaging report outlining the findings related to the evaluation questions and providing recommendations for our future approach to collaborating with the Lived Experience Group (LEG).
• Presentation (December 2025): To be delivered to MCF staff, trustees, and funders.

3. Submitting a bid
4. 1. Submission details

Suppliers are invited to submit a proposal (maximum 8 pages) that includes the following:

1. Understanding of the Project Needs: A brief overview of your understanding of the need for this project.
2. Proposed Methodology: A description of your approach and how your proposed methodology addresses the research questions. This should include how you will ensure that the work is sensitive and appropriate for Lived Experience Group (LEG) members.
3. Relevant Experience: A summary of your relevant experience and why you are well-suited to fulfil the project requirements. This should include details of your proposed project team and their roles.
4. Budget: A breakdown of costs associated with each key activity, including VAT where appropriate.
5. Timeline: A proposed timeline outlining key milestones for the project.

Proposals should be submitted to:

• Email: rmcdonald@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk
• Subject Line: LEG Evaluation Proposal
• Deadline for Proposal Submission: 31^st March 2025

1. 2. Questions and additional materials

If you have any clarification questions, please get in touch with Rhiannon-Faye McDonald at rmcdonald@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk. The following additional materials are available on request:

• LEG Theory of Change
• LEG Advocacy Strategy with workplan

Please note, we are open to revising these with the evaluation partner.

1. 3. Selection criteria

Applications will be assessed against

Criteria	Details
Experience and expertise	Does the supplier demonstrate relevant experience in conducting similar evaluation projects? Does the bid team have the skills needed to implement the proposed evaluation approach effectively?
Methodology	Clarity, appropriateness, and feasibility of the proposed evaluation methods and tools, including data collection and analysis techniques. Understanding of how to work in a person-centred, trauma-informed way with those who have lived experience of child sexual abuse.
Understanding of the project context	Does the supplier show a strong understanding of the project's goals, stakeholders, and potential challenges?
Cost and Value for Money	Is the proposed budget reasonable and does it offer good value for money in relation to the expected deliverables?

 

1. 4. Selection process

Following the review of proposals, shortlisted suppliers will be invited to participate in an online interview. This interview will include a brief presentation of your proposed approach, followed by questions from the MCF team.

1. 5. Timeline

Activity	Date
RFP shared with suppliers	12th March 2025
Deadline for submission of proposals	28th March 2025
Review of proposals	31st March – 4th April 2025
Short-listed suppliers invited to interview	4th April 2025
Interviews for short-listed suppliers	W/C 7th April 2025
Contract start date	28th April 2025
Completion	December 2025