The HERA Consortium released its cornerstone open-access assessment tool – Impact Measurement Methodology (IMM) as a framework for evaluating the outcomes of activities aimed at supporting women over 45 in lifelong learning and for informing policy recommendations within the HERA project, across seven different EU Member States.
The IMM has been designed to generate evidence-and data-based insights through three interconnected components:
1. Participant Recruitment Protocol and Strategy, for ethical standards in engaging participants as well as identifying effective pathways to reach the target group;
2. Experimentation Measurement, for survey instruments to capture attitudes, motivations, and perceived challenges related to lifelong learning;
3. Case Studies Collection, to gather illustrative examples that demonstrate opportunities and challenges in the target group.
Survey Execution Under IMM
To evaluate the impact of the HERA Labs methodology as well as Community Portal pilot, and ensure the collection of meaningful data across participating countries, a standardised questionnaire was developed as the central measurement tool.
The questionnaire is organised into four thematic sections,
(i) views on learning and growth,
(ii) confidence with digital tools,
(iii) needs and the work environment,
(iv) support systems and environment,
Together, these domains offer a holistic view of participants’ learning ecosystems and inform both the impact of policy experimentation and recommendations.
This survey will be administered to two groups – participants actively engaged in the HERA Labs and women with similar profiles but no exposure to the project, to understand the effectiveness of the HERA model. It will be carried out at two key points: (i) before and after the start of the HERA Labs; as well as (ii) before and after the Community Portal pilot, to help assess individual progress over the course of the intervention. This will be further supplemented by a collection of case studies.
Findings and Results
The results of the survey will be disseminated through:
1. A final report on experimentation learnings across all participant countries
2. Study/scientific paper and policy brief – “Impact Assessment of the HERA methodology
on the Skills and Employability of Women 45+”
3. Public-facing summaries, infographics etc.
What To Look Forward To
Accurate impact assessment is essential for ensuring investments in research translate into meaningful benefits. HERA’s transparent, inclusive, and adaptable approach sets a strong foundation for demonstrating the project’s contribution to evidence-based personalised healthcare in Europe.
With its layered approach to collecting both numbers and real-life stories from women 45+ in lifelong learning, HERA’s IMM framework ensures reliable information to not only track the model’s own progress but also support more inclusive and responsive policy design at local, national, and European levels.
To ensure the toolbox is truly open-access, it has been translated into languages of the HERA consortium partner countries (Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish).
Keep following this space for more updates on HERA’s impact!
