Economic Evaluation of Project ACCESS

Project ACCESS is concerned with the delivery of a world class telecommunications network to enable the provision of broadband services in Cumbria and parts of North Lancashire to address the ‘digital divide’ that was identified between the roll out of high speed broadband across the North West in general and the anticipated more restricted delivery of services in rural Cumbria.

The evaluation involved the critical examination of Project ACCESS in order to:

• assess whether the objectives of the Project have been achieved;
• identify any additional impacts or changes that are attributable to the Project;
• determine whether these changes were secured in a sustainable, efficient way, and have offered value for money; and
• consider whether the project provides lessons for the future.

The evaluation was developed within the advice set out in the Impact Evaluation Framework for RDAs and the results provided inputs into the national evaluation of RDAs. It was also based upon guidance contained within HM Treasury ‘Green Book’ on appraisal and evaluation in Central Government, and CLG’s ‘3Rs Guidance’ on assessing the impacts of spatial interventions.

We provided an assessment of:

• Relevance and objective setting
• Logic chains
• Strategic Added Value
• Outputs, outcomes, and impacts
• Additionality
• Economy, efficiency, and Value for Money
• Sustainability and social inclusion
• Administrative efficiency
• Lessons learned