Evaluation and Research, Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit

The Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) was created in 2019 utilising Home Office funding. The VRU has established a multi-agency, public health approach to understanding, tackling and reducing violence. Partners include:

• Greater Manchester Police
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority
• National Probation Service
• GM Youth Justice Service providers
• Education providers
• NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care
• Public Health Partners
• The Home Office
• Academic Institutions
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Partners

In addition, the VRU benefits from a Data and Evaluation Lead, a Victims Lead and a Community-Led approaches Coordinator.

A key aspect of the Violence Reduction Unit is supporting the development and growth of the evidence base regarding ‘what works’ to tackle serious and youth violence to contribute to the local and national understanding.

An element of developing this evidence base is facilitated by funding from the Home Office to Police forces, known as ‘Grip Funding’. This funding stream allows police to trial innovateive methods to mitigate, and suppress violence. Monitoring data generated from this activity in order to evaluate effectivness of interventions is a function of the VRU.

The VRU has undertaken a comprehensive strategic needs assessment to develop a Greater Manchester wide, multi-agency focused action plan, which must be maintained and updated annually. Delivery against the action plan is achieved through multiple VRU funded projects delivered through four workstreams (Criminal Justice, Education, Health and Wellbeing and Communities) which comprise the whole programme of work. A Research and Evaluation Steering Group oversees all of the research work across the VRU including the prioritisation, monitoring and managing of outputs related to the successful provider of this specification, which the provider will contribute to and report into.

The VRU is seeking a research and evaluation partner to build on the work of the VRU over the past three years across all workstreams, delivering high quality evaluation of selected projects; this includes the completion of a number of evaluations of projects which have been running for some time. In addition, the provider will support in the ongoing overarching monitoring and evaluation of the VRU itself, developing and enhancing products to support this.

The provider will provide research, evaluation and consultancy services to enable the VRU to effectively measure success and impact.

The provider should ensure a regular presence in the VRU, including attendance at relevant team meetings, as well as delivery workstream meetings and Research and Evaluation Steering Group meetings. Within the VRU, the provider will assist in the monitoring and evaluation of the whole work programme. Identification and prioritisation of the themes and outputs required will be determined in partnership with the provider, based on the requirements as set out in this specification.

The provider will work closely with workstream leads and commissioned providers to implement and deliver robust evaluation, and provide an advisory role around research, monitoring and small level evaluations more generally. They will also remain abreast of current research and evidence related to serious violence to maintain a relevant approach.