Research brief: Understanding the impact of Acas training and workplace projects – developing an evaluation framework

Introduction and research aim

This research, commissioned by Acas and led by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), aims to design and pilot a standardised evaluation framework for Acas training workplace projects, which includes e-learning and webinars. IES is an independent research centre specialising in employment policy and practice. Acas is committed to making working life better for everyone in Britain, and to achieve this mission, they provide high-quality training alongside their free and impartial advice. Developing a comprehensive evaluation framework will support Acas to measure how it is making a difference to people and organisations.

This research will be conducted in two phases:

  • Scoping Phase: Gather evidence to develop the evaluation framework
  • Pilot Phase: Test and refine the framework

This briefing outlines the Scoping Phase and invites you to share your experiences of Acas training or workplace projects, including e-learning and webinars. Your input will help us develop a standardised framework to understand the effectiveness and impact of Acas training and advice services, identify areas for improvement, and ensure future training and advice products can have a greater impact for individuals and organisations.

What does participating involve?

We invite you, as a past Acas delegate, to a 30-minute interview with an IES researcher. We aim for the interviews to take place in August 2025, and no later than mid-September 2025. These 30-minute interviews are entirely voluntary and will be conducted online via Teams or over the telephone. Through the interviews, we seek to understand:

  • Your overall experience of Acas training and workplace projects
  • What you learned and how it impacted you personally
  • How you and your colleagues have applied this learning at work
  • Changes you’ve observed in your workplace as a result of the training 
  • Barriers and enablers to applying your learning

Before the interview, we will seek permission to record the interview, enabling us to generate detailed notes for analysis. You do not have to consent to the interview recording, and it will not affect your ability to participate. In this case, we will take written notes during the interview.

We will also ask for your permission to share your anonymised interview notes with Acas. This will allow them to refer back to the raw data as they continue to develop their evaluation practices. As far as possible, all identifiable information will be removed. You do not have to agree for your notes to be shared, and you can still participate in the research. If you choose not to provide consent, your anonymous interview data will still be included in the collective analysis alongside data from other participants, and will contribute to the overall thematic findings.

What happens to your personal data?

All data processing complies with GDPR. Your personal data will be stored securely on IES servers, and only research team members will have access. The personal data we use to contact you, as well as the audio files from interview recordings, will be securely deleted from the IES systems at the end of the project (approx. April 2026). If the project does not extend beyond the scoping phase, deletion will be around December 2025.

We will anonymise your interview responses as soon as possible, and your anonymous data will be aggregated with those of other participants for analysis and reporting. You will not be identifiable in the research output.

For further information about the use of your personal data, please see the project privacy notice.

Next steps

If you are happy to take part in a short interview, please respond to the invitation email and we will arrange a time that is convenient for you. We aim to complete the interviews in August 2025, but we can schedule them in early September 2025 if required.

If you have any questions about this research or your participation, please do not hesitate to contact:

Thank you for considering contributing to this research.