This piece of research flows from two pieces of NIACE work: on behalf of the Local Government Association exploring the changing strategic role of adult learning and skills in communities; and our work for the Skills Funding Agency completing Social Return on Investment analyses with a sample of Adult and Community Learning Funding projects, in partnership with the SROI Network.

From these analyses the wider outcomes that show the impact of adult learning were grouped into a number of categories, or outcomes domains. We commissioned the testing of the econometric model on the four most critical domains to influence current work in localities: health, social relationships, volunteering, and employment/ employability.