NCS saves as little as nine pence for every £1 spent, evaluation finds
Laura McCardle
Thursday, August 14, 2014
The financial benefit of the government's flagship National Citizen Service (NCS) programme could be as little as nine pence for every £1 spent, an independent evaluation has revealed.
A study by Ipsos Mori on the voluntary personal and social development programme estimated that in the summer of 2013, accrued benefits - such as improved education outcomes, volunteering, leadership skills, general wellbeing and reduced smoking and drinking - were worth between £1.39 and £6.10 for every £1 spent.
It estimated the benefits from the autumn 2013 programme to be between £1.09 and £6.09 for every £1 spent.
The cost of the summer programme - which 31,738 young people took part in came to £49m and the autumn programme - which 7,828 young people took part in - cost £13m.
The report says that NCS may potentially deliver several long-term benefits, including increased earnings from enhanced skills and leadership, increased physical activity, and reduced smoking and drinking.
"Although this evaluation uses the most robust methods possible to estimate long-term outcomes, there is inevitably some uncertainty in the results at this stage," the report says.
"Nonetheless, even under the most pessimistic scenarios, NCS is estimated to have delivered greater social benefits than the costs involved."
However, the report does concede the estimated costs "slightly understate the actual resource costs" as in some cases the parents of participants will also have made small financial contributions to the cost of NCS of up to £50.
There is yet to be a definitive figure for how much value for money NCS provides. An evaluation of the 2011 programme - which involved 8,500 young people - claimed that the programme returned up to £2 for every £1 spent.
The latest evaluation report found that 39,566 young people started the three-week social action programme in 2013, compared with 26,003 in 2012.
However 1,693 of the total summer 2013 contingent of 31,738 dropped out before the end of the programme - a drop-out rate of 5.3 per cent.
The drop-out rate for the autumn programme was slightly higher at 7.8 per cent, with 607 of the 7,827 starters failing to finish the programme.
The evaluation, which measures the impact of NCS, is based on feedback given during a series of surveys by 4,815 young people, their parents and teachers after completing the programme in either the summer or autumn of last year.
The report shows that 83 per cent of participants felt more capable of dealing with the transition to adulthood after taking part in NCS and that three-quarters felt more confident about getting a job in the future.
It also shows that six out of 10 participants – 61 per cent from the summer programme and 64 per cent from the autumn programme – reported feeling a greater responsibility to their local communities after completing NCS.
“Overall, NCS 2013 had a greater impact on the transition to adulthood when compared with 2012," the reports states.
“This was seen in several areas, including participants’ plans for further education, future aspirations, life skills and sense of wellbeing.
“In areas of social mixing and community involvement, impacts were observed for the first time in 2013.”
Michael Lynas, chief executive of NCS Trust, said the report proves that the programme is helping young people develop vital life skills.
He said: “The 100,000 young people who have taken part in NCS since 2011 are emerging as more confident and capable.
“The ability to work with others, speak in public and lead teams should not be seen as soft skills, rather they are essential skills for teens who want to get ahead.
“So far, NCS graduates have dedicated two million hours to their communities, raising £750,000 for charities in 2013 alone. What’s more, three-quarters tell us they want to do even more after graduating from the programme.”
NCS was launched in 2010 by Prime Minister David Cameron, Cabinet Office minister Frances Maude and former civil society minister Nick Hurd.
In February, Hurd handed responsibility for the programme to the NCS Trust, completing its move from a government-run programme to an independent trust.
An interview with Lynas will feature in the next issue of CYP Now.