In 2021 Makerble wrote an evaluation report on Moving On Up Collective Impact Partnership. Moving On Up is a programme funded by Trust For London and City Bridge Trust, with support from the Black Training & Employment Group (BTEG).

The concept of Moving On Up rests on the idea that improving employment outcomes for young Black men is not something that any one organisation or fixed set of partners can achieve alone. The challenge requires a collective approach in which organisations work together in ways they have never done before. That is the essence of MOU’s Collective Impact Partnership. While the organisation has other strands of work, the focus of Makerble’s evaluation was their Collective Impact work.

The Moving On Up programme operates in two boroughs, Brent and Newham, by bringing together BTEG staff, local authorities, and voluntary, public and private sector organisations.

The evaluation answered two key questions. Does the collective impact approach improve employment outcomes for young Black men? And, could the collective impact approach be applied to other target groups and in any geographic location?

Makerble found that some young Black men participating in Moving On Up’s programme had a better journey into employment than they would have done otherwise, as partners are sharing training and job opportunities with each other, which is unlocking a series of benefits for their programme participants. Moving On Up is also helping young Black men feel more encouraged by giving them access to a wider range and volume of opportunities. Respondents said they felt encouraged even when a job opportunity does not work out. Overall the participants tended to see a real distinction between Moving On Up and other organisations, some particularly appreciated that Moving On Up offered personalised support, was caring, and supplied better jobs than they were able to obtain through job brokerage service alone.

 Also, the partner organisations felt that funders were more interested in the success of the programme overall rather than the performance of individual organisations. Organisations that used to compete for funding were now collaborating and discussing funding opportunities with each other.

Makerble’s report made recommendations for future improvement. You can read the executive summary here.