CFE was commissioned by Regeneration East Midlands (REM) on behalf of the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) to conduct an independent impact evaluation of the Enterprising People, Enterprising Places (Ep2) Programme.

The Ep2 programme was a training programme designed to promote economic development at the local level by providing training to community development and regeneration practitioners.

CFE evaluated the programme and the extent to which it:

• achieved its objectives;
• was effective in enabling regeneration workers to support local economic development and enterprise in areas of disadvantage;
• demonstrated fit with priority targets, policy agendas and the needs of disadvantaged communities and under-represented groups;
• impacted and benefited local communities; and
• considered options for the accreditation of the programme and its future sustainability.

A range of methods were used to evaluate the programme including:

• documentation review;
• beneficiary surveys;
• stakeholder interviews;
• case studies; and
• an accreditation Workshop.

The evaluation covered the delivery of the Ep2 training programme until mid-March, with final analysis and recommendations for future programme development presented in March 2010.