| Blossom has taken over. Evenings are getting longer. We have crossed the threshold of Calan Mai/Beltane. I hope the warmer and longer days have brought you as much joy as they have me, and that you are feeling the rise in energy! In March, we hosted our first ever EvaluaTea Community Live, bringing people together to untangle a shared question: how are we getting ready for REF 2029?What emerged was honest and refreshingly unpolished. Conversations about patchy data, tricky impact stories, and the challenge of building evaluation in real time. But also practical shifts like embedding evaluation from the very start, and the simple relief of thinking things through with others who get it. You can read the full recap here. Each month, we’ll gather around the teapot to explore ideas, questions, and tools that support your evaluation practice. In this newsletter, you can look forward to: -A tea recommendation of the month to sip while you think -An evaluation reflective journal prompt to deepen your practice -Your invitation to our first ever community live!! -A tool of the moment to add to your evaluation toolkitand so much more…. Whether you’re new to evaluation or have years of experience brewing behind you, Evalua-Tea is here to hold space for learning, reflection, and connection.So, take a sip, turn the page, and let’s talk evaluation |
| Tool of the moment Delivery Reflective Journals / Learning Logs A delivery reflective journal is a simple but powerful practice: after running an event, activity, or programme, facilitators take a few moments to capture their reflections while the experience is still warm.This can be as low-tech as a notebook tucked into a bag, or as structured as a short online form sent out after each session. Prompts might include: 1. How did the session feel overall? 2. What worked well, and why? 3. What would you do differently next time? 4. Were there any standout moments, positive or challenging? 5. What surprised you? What it’s useful for: -Captures insights in real time -Builds a running record of observations instead of relying on hindsight -Creates rich qualitative data over time -Helps patterns emerge and connects small details across sessions -Offers facilitators a built-in pause for reflection -Creates space to step out of delivery mode and think more deeply Why we like it: They gently embed a culture where reflection is normal, expected, and valued. Instead of rushing from one session to the next, there’s a built-in breath. A chance to notice, to adjust, to gain perspective. |
| 🫖 Evalua-Tea Community Live 🫖 Come and join us for next first ever Evalua-Tea community live! Evaluating Ethically Save your seat here At our last CommuniTea Live, you helped choose the next topic — and we’ll be diving into evaluating ethically.Themes like safeguarding, proportionality, and GDPR kept bubbling up in our conversations, so it feels like the right moment to explore them more deeply. Together, we’ll unpack what ethical evaluation means in practice, look at what’s already out there (from toolkits to frameworks), and learn from each other’s experiences along the way.Pull up a chair and join us — the conversation promises to be a thoughtful one. Save your seat here, so I know who to expect and you can download a cal invite! Session Format 20 minutes – Hellos, welcome, settling in, and introduction to the topic 20 minutes – Group discussions (yes, breakout rooms!) 15 minutes – Shared discussion and reflections 5 minutes – Wrap-up and key takeaways Bring your pen and paper, a warm cup of tea, and an open heart and mind!Want to join in this discussion but cannot make the community live?We will make sure to send out a summary with the next newsletter so keep an eye out.  Reflective prompt…Grab yourself a pen and paper and simply write …no overthinking!What part of your evaluation practice feels most draining right now, and why?If helpful, you might explore:Is this drain about workload, expectations, or values?What feels non-negotiable, and what might be negotiable?  Tea of the Month This month we’re drinking: Chamomile Why this tea: Chamomile invites us to rest and take care of ourselves- especially important in these times! |
| 📓 Practice Note 📓 Something we’re noticing in our evaluation work… Right now feels… compressed. Deadlines bunching together, expectations stacking like plates in a hurry. There’s a lot in motion, and not all of it can be held at once.So this is a quiet nudge to prioritise with intention:What truly needs to happen?What would be good, but not essential?What can be set down, just for now? Not everything deserves your energy at the same time. Some things can wait. Some things can go.And in the middle of all this, a small but important reminder: You are doing enough. The fact you are even here, reading this newsletter shows that you are prioritising your evaluation work. Take a moment for pause, have some gratitude for yourself, and know that you are doing all you can! |
| RRReady steady REF: getting your researchers REF readyREF has a way of creeping up quickly — but you don’t have to leave it until the last minute. If you or your teams need support with impact and evaluation, from strengthening evidence to building confident REF-ready narratives, we offer workshops, programmes, consultancy and team sessions tailored to your needs.Our new REF support programme is designed to help you get ahead early 👉 https://engagement-with-impact.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/getting-ref-ready.pdf Who’s behind this email…We are Engagement with Impact: a training, consultancy and evaluation company. We are a small, but perfectly formed, team. We were very excited to expand to four of us last year, and are excited to be working on this new community project. Look out for more about us in the next newsletter.Find out more about us here Thank you…Thank you for being here at the very beginning. If anything in this issue stirred a thought or a question, you’re welcome to reply. We read every response.We hope to see you at the next community live- in the meantime go forth and brew boldly! |
Engagement with Impact 