ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by exploring the political landscape that has led to the dominance of the experimental paradigm in evaluating work with young people and communities. The practice of evaluation is a political activity, socially constructed and politically articulated. In order to understand the dominance of the experimental evaluation paradigm, it is necessary to review the influence of the political context, 'neoliberalism', on the way in which youth and community work organisations are managed. The year 2013 saw the publication of the 'Blueprint for Shared Measurement' which, drawing on an analysis of twenty approaches already in operation in the UK and the USA, set out a concept of shared measurement for UK charities and social enterprises. The process of shared measurement entails understanding a sector's shared outcomes, often mapping out its theory of change. However, on a cautionary note, while the standards may support the development of an evidence-base which currently is lacking, they clearly promote an experimental evaluation approach.
