ClimateXChange (CXC) wishes to commission research on how to evaluate the Scottish Government’s Heat in Building (HiB) capital delivery programme.
Submissions must be received by noon on Monday 21 September.
The HiB capital delivery programme schemes include Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS), Area Based Schemes (ABS), Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan, the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund (SHNZHF), and the Private Rented Sector loan scheme. These schemes vary in purpose, delivery route, target group and data arrangements. The programme has evolved over time, with schemes developed in different policy, delivery and operational contexts. Current reporting is generally stronger on administrative, cost and output data, such as applications, approvals, completions, spend, measures installed and modelled savings. However, outcome reporting is more fragmented, e.g. some schemes report preand post-intervention SAP score (which are themselves model-based estimates of energy performance) and modelled emissions/fuel bill reductions. Where modelled impact is reported, this often relies on modelling assumptions which may not reflect actual impact. The extent to which these modelled outcomes are realised in practice or instead manifest through other outcomes such as increased warmth or comfort and related benefits, is not well understood.
There is currently a focus on technical outputs and outcomes rather than the lived experiences of households. Schemes do not survey participants consistently, and participant outcome data may not be routinely captured. This means there is limited comparable evidence on whether interventions achieve improvements for occupants such as warmth, comfort, affordability, confidence using clean heating systems, reduced stress, damp and mould concerns, and impacts on health. Current reporting requirements therefore support accountability for programme delivery and spend, but are limited in providing an understanding of how different types of intervention can translate into costs and outcomes across different buildings and circumstances. This limits the Scottish Government’s ability to determine impact and value for money on a programme-wide basis, and ability to inform decisions on the targeting and prioritisation of future investment.
Given the practical and resource challenges associated with capturing real-world outcomes
this project will consider what information (e.g., minimum evidence base, data standards,
and reporting requirements) can and should be collected consistently across the programme. It will also review where more targeted or sample-based additional approaches may be required to sufficiently understand programme impact. It will provide options for a programme-level monitoring and reporting approach. This should bring together various types of data (in a consistent format), including administrative, cost, output, modelled technical, and participant outcome data. This will enable assessment of how costs and outcomes vary across different intervention types, building archetypes, and starting conditions.