Evaluating Wales’s £400m Transforming Towns Programme

The evaluation explored both process and impact bringing together multiple strands of evidence through a realist evaluation approach to demonstrate what worked and in what contexts reflecting that local delivery requires flexibility rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Stakeholder insight, programme and project documentation, case study analysis, and primary research with town centre users was used to understand programme performance and local effects. The findings showed that while Transforming Towns has been successful in distributing funding and supporting a range of regeneration interventions, it is challenging to demonstrate which of these have had most impact and therefore learn how to better invest in future.

A stronger monitoring and evaluation approach built in from the start of any future programme would help improve this, and the rationale for investment. The Wavehill team therefore prepared a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation guidance document for Welsh Government to use going forwards, as well as the evaluation reports and recommendations.

The guidance and recommendations are being used by Welsh Government to improve the approach to regeneration activity in Wales while maintaining the strengths of the current programme. A holistic place-based strategy is being developed on which will sit a flexible, locally-led funding model with enhancements in how to demonstrate best practice and intervene in the most suitable way.