An Evaluation of the Consumer Skills for All Programme

Abstract

The focus of this evaluation report is the impact of the Consumer Council’s Consumer Skills for All programme (CSFA) during the initial stage of its development (Phase 1: March 2003-December 20042). The CSFA programme was designed to impact primarily by raising awareness on consumer matters among Northern Ireland’s consumer population through education and collaboration, and through the provision of accessible information. The evaluation identifies the challenges involved in demonstrating the impact of CSFA in terms of permanent, quantifiable increases in consumer awareness, skills and behaviours, known as ‘hard’ impact and distinguishes between this and ‘soft’ impact which comprises more indirect/subtle indicators of change as a result of the programme. Hard and soft indicators of impact are interdependent and are illustrated throughout the report.