At Q, we want to make sure we are serving your needs and supporting you to deliver improvement work. To do this, it’s important that we understand your experiences and robustly evaluate everything that Q does.

However, such an evaluation presents many challenges – not least because there are often many steps between Q’s work and the ultimate impact for patients, carers and the public. Layered on top of this are the unique sets of member experiences and the sheer variety of ways that benefits from Q membership may or may not be fully realised.

Acutely aware of these challenges, in April 2023, we commissioned Picker to undertake an independent, pioneering and ambitious evaluation. This two-year project draws on highly sophisticated qualitative and quantitative methods and analysis.

The aim is to assess the impact our community is having – for you, for your organisations and for the wider health and care system. The evaluation will also identify areas where we can improve and inform our future strategic direction.

This evaluation is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the evidence base not just on Q, but also on networked and collaborative approaches to change more widely.

Where are we now?

We’re just over halfway through the evaluation. Hundreds of Q members have contributed so far, through in-depth interviews, case studies, workshops and the first of our all-member surveys.

In response to themes that emerged in the early stages of data collection, we expanded the work that Picker is delivering. This includes adding a workshop with Q members who have lived experience, developing peer-led case studies and interviewing individuals who are not members of Q. We also commissioned Picker to undertake ‘deep dives’ of Q Exchange and Q Labs. All this extra data and analysis will be integrated into the final overarching evaluation.

I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has given their time and energy to this work to date. Your input is appreciated and incredibly valuable.

It’s too soon to share findings, although we’ve already learned that almost every Q member has had a unique combination of interactions with our community, and Q’s funding opportunities, events and resources. This means every Q member’s perspective is unique and important.

We’ll be sharing findings from the full evaluation with members in summer 2025.

How can you get involved?

There are a few more workshops and interviews to go. We’ll be sending out invitations by email over the next few weeks. Please volunteer to take part in these if you’re able to.

Perhaps most importantly, the second of our all-member surveys will be launching in early September. Every Q member will be invited to complete this.

The survey will ask you all about your experience with Q. For example, the ways you interact with our community and how useful you have found Q’s events, funding and resources. It will also ask your perspective on whether being a member is helping you to deliver improvement work.

Your experience is important to us. Whether you feel like you’re making the most of your membership, or you have rarely interacted with Q, please do complete the survey. All responses will be valuable.

Once the survey opens, you’ll receive an email directly from Picker with your unique link to enable you to take part. Please look out for this in your inbox very soon.

Read more about the Independent Evaluation of Q