News and updates

For news and updates about the evaluation please see our latest Building Financial Capability Evaluation information sheet. You can download it here.

About the evaluation

The Ministry of Social Development funds the delivery of Building Financial Capability (BFC) products aimed at building the financial capability and resilience of New Zealanders experiencing financial hardship. MSD has contracted Malatest International to evaluate BFC and its products over a five-year period. The evaluation will help to make evidence-based decisions about the overall effectiveness and impact of BFC products as well as providing information for continuous improvement.
The Ministry hosts information about the evaluation here.

Focus of the evaluation

Targeted. Assess the extent to which BFC products are well targeted to building the financial capability and resilience of New Zealanders experiencing the highest levels of hardship.

Client experience. Learn about how clients experience BFC products and the difference they make to their lives, their family and whānau.

Effectiveness. Examine the effectiveness of BFC products in building the financial capability and resilience of New Zealanders experiencing hardship.

Impact on return on investment. Review the long-term impact and return on investment of BFC products.

Evaluation work completed to date

The evaluation has included the following overall activities to date:

  • Planning and development: Detailed evaluation workplan developed with the Ministry and stakeholders including logic model, evaluation framework and overarching ethics review.
  • Community case studies: Visits to four communities with data collection from agency staff, BFC and other community service providers, clients and other stakeholders. The A3 summary report is available here.
  • National provider results dashboards: Innovative dashboards drawing on the data recorded by providers on their work with BFC clients. The most recent national dashboard is available here.
  • Workforce survey: Survey of BFC providers and their staff to capture their perspectives on BFC and provide data on the workforce delivering services.

It has also involved evaluation work on several individual initiatives including:

  • BFC Plus: Literature review, phone interviews with 50 provider staff from 38 providers, interviews with six representatives of Disabled People’s Organisations and site visits to four providers with 25 client interviews. First evaluation report has been completed. The summary report is available here.
  • Work and Income practices: Development of logic model, evaluation framework and first report complete based on interviews with 30 clients. First evaluation report has been completed.
  • MoneyMates and Financial Mentors: Phone interviews with 50 providers including a mix of providers delivering one or both services. Site visits with six providers. First evaluation report completed.
  • MoneyMates Fund evaluation: Analysis of provider returns describing the projects delivered through the fund and identifying learnings which may inform the delivery of wider BFC services.
  • Evaluation with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Poneke Whānau Services (KWS) of their Mauri Oho initiative.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

If you have any questions about the evaluation, you can reach Tim Rowland or someone else in the Malatest team by email or by phone.

BFC Evaluation team
BFC@malatest-intl.com
0800 002 577