Impact Measurement in eDofE
Network FAQs
5 July 2022
Why is the DofE measuring impact?
Evaluating the impact of DofE is the starting point for improving what we do and ensuring that the Award has a positive benefit for the widest possible number of young people. We believe providing young people with a way of tracking their DofE progress and reflecting on how they may have changed along the way has tremendous value for them as individuals. It’s also beneficial for Licensed Organisations supporting young people, as they can demonstrate the wider benefit and positive outcomes of delivering the programme.
Our new Impact Measurement Framework is central to this and was referenced in the publication last year of our five-year Youth Without Limits strategy. The Framework consists of a number of questions that align with the short and medium-term outcomes of doing a DofE programme, as illustrated in our Theory of Change below:
The questions have been carefully selected from government and academic surveys to allow benchmarking against national data.
Why has impact measurement been embedded into eDofE?
We have been using the questions to evaluate the impact of DofE over the past 15 months in an anonymous email survey to DofE participants. We are now moving the questions into eDofE as it is a much more effective platform to engage young people through.
The questions are asked at relevant points when the young person is most engaged in their programme. Because their responses are linked to their eDofE account, it gives an opportunity for them to reflect on the impact of the Award at different points in their DofE journey and see how they have changed over time.
What questions are being asked and when?
Here is a list of all the questions we’re asking young people and the point in eDofE they’re asked:
Question |
When is it asked? |
Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays? |
At first login after starting an award, when the Certificate of Achievement (CoA) is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
|
At first login after starting an award, when the CoA is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?
|
At first login after starting an award, when the CoA is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?
|
At first login after starting an award, when the CoA is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
How likely is it that you will be successful and get ahead?
|
At first login after starting an award, when the CoA is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
If I find something difficult, I keep trying until I can do it
|
At first login after starting an award, when the CoA is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
Thanks to my resourcefulness, I know how to handle unforeseen situations
|
At first login after starting an award and again when the expedition section is submitted for approval |
I can remain calm when facing difficulties because I can rely on my coping abilities
|
At first login after starting an award and again when the expedition section is submitted for approval |
I feel I can make a difference to the world around me
|
When the volunteering section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
To what extent do you agree or disagree that most people in your local area can be trusted?
|
When the volunteering section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the statement - ‘I feel like I belong to this neighbourhood’?
|
When the volunteering section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
I am able to do things as well as most other people
|
When the skill section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
I can usually solve my own problems
|
When the skill section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
In general, would you say your health is…excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor
|
When the physical section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
In the past week, on how many days have you done a total of 30 mins or more of physical activity, which was enough to raise your breathing rate?
|
When the physical section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
I try to be nice to other people. I care about their feelings
|
When the residential section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
How confident do you feel about working with other people in a team?
|
When the residential section planner is submitted and again when the section is submitted for approval |
How likely would you be to recommend DofE to a friend?
|
When the CoA is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
Can you tell us the reason for your score?
|
When the CoA is achieved and again when the full award is submitted for approval |
None of the questions is mandatory. Participants select from a scale of possible responses, and each question includes the option to select ‘Prefer not to say’.
Why are we asking questions about wellbeing?
Our Youth Without Limits strategy places an increased emphasis on young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The four questions below from the Impact Measurement Framework relate specifically to wellbeing. We’re using these questions because we want to understand whether participation in a DofE programme has a positive effect on young people’s wellbeing, particularly given the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.
- Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?
- Overall, how happy did you feel yesterday?
- Overall, how anxious did you feel yesterday?
- Overall, to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile?
These questions replicate those routinely used by the Office for National Statistics and are standard measures that are widely included in government and academic surveys. Here is some further information, which explains the measure and some of the other surveys it has been used in, including youth surveys:
Surveys using our four personal well-being questions - Office for National Statistics.
What if the responses give rise to safeguarding concerns?
The welfare of young people is the DofE’s top priority. So, if an individual’s answers give rise to concerns about issues they may be struggling with, it’s right that we see that as an opportunity to help and support that individual – especially as each respondent has a unique, identifiable eDofE number. While we don’t know the personal context of a young person’s life when they are answering the questions, we have a duty of care in cases where their responses could potentially indicate that they are in distress.
It’s important to emphasise that before moving the wellbeing questions into eDofE, we took independent external advice which has led us to introduce a safeguarding process around the responses. We were advised that a proportionate response would be to raise a potential safeguarding concern if the two most negative responses were given to all four wellbeing questions.
What about confidentiality? Are individual responses shared?
The data collected through the impact questions is for statistical purposes only and individual responses are never shared. If the two most negative responses are given by an individual to all four questions, their centre will be notified so any concerns can be followed up – although the young person’s individual responses to the wellbeing questions will not be revealed as part of that process. This approach is explained within eDofE to all participants when they reach the wellbeing questions.
By introducing this, isn’t DofE passing more work and additional responsibilities on to licensed organisations?
Keeping young people safe is everyone’s responsibility – so if the responses give rise to concerns about issues someone might be struggling with, it is important we see that as an opportunity to offer support. That begins with us alerting the licensed organisation’s DofE Manager in the very rare cases where an individual provides the most negative responses. In such cases, we would ask the Manager to follow their organisation’s own safeguarding policy and notify us accordingly. We are continually looking for ways to best support organisations to ensure we keep young people and volunteers safe. Specific responsibilities are set out clearly in our licensing agreements.