Research and analysis

Multiply deep dive research: Delivering adult numeracy skills in Northern Ireland

Published 3 December 2025

Applies to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Executive summary

Introduction

Summary of Multiply

• Multiply was a 3 year, up to £559 million programme, designed to improve the functional numeracy skills of adults across the UK.
• This funding enabled lead local authorities (LAs) to develop local solutions to improve the functional maths skills of adults.
• Multiply included flexibilities that enabled the development of new and innovative projects, which often contextualised numeracy in the real world, enabling learners to develop and apply numeracy skills in a novel way.
• In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Multiply funding was also available to address the numeracy needs of 16 to 19 year olds at risk of being Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

Research aims

• This is one of a series of deep dives conducted to identify lessons from the Multiply programme from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• The research presented here explores how Multiply was been developed and delivered in Northern Ireland. The analysis identifies some of the key challenges faced and highlights lessons emerging from innovative and promising practice
• This builds on evidence of Multiply processes collected through the UKSPF place level evaluations in Glasgow, Edinburgh, North Ayrshire, Highland, North Wales, Mid Wales, South East Wales, South West Wales and Northern Ireland.
• The Department for Education are conducting a full evaluation of the processes and impact of Multiply across England.

Place

• The deep dive in Northern Ireland has focused on the £5.9 million Multiply programme led by the Department for the Economy that was delivered between April 2024 and March 2025.
• The Department for the Economy delivered Multiply initiatives via colleges, universities and local councils in partnership with voluntary and community organisations.

Research undertaken

• Research to inform this deep dive includes qualitative, semi-structured interviews conducted with officials from the Department for the Economy, local council officers and Further and Higher Education sector colleagues.
• Evidence shared by beneficiaries and delivery partners at the Department for the Economy’s evaluation and celebration event held in February 2025 has also been utilised, alongside analysis of monitoring and expenditure data.

Key findings

Delivering at scale and pace

The one year delivery period led to significant time pressures, impacting programme design and delivery. This may have limited innovation as some initiatives were adaptations of existing projects due to the need for quick delivery.

Effective partnership working

Strong partnerships and networks were crucial for successful design and delivery of Multiply in Northern Ireland. Collaboration between the Department for the Economy, local councils, the Further and Higher education sectors as well as local community organisations supported a shared understanding of Multiply requirements. This approach facilitated the sharing of ideas and learnings, enhancing innovation as well as aiding problem solving and reducing duplication.

Flexibility in programme delivery and design

The flexibilities offered by Multiply enabled delivery partners to develop initiatives that addressed local circumstances. Consequently, new approaches to numeracy skills training were developed and delivered at pace. Flexibilities including reprofiling spend and modifying content or delivery mechanisms ensured that feedback was acted on and learners’ needs were met.

Understanding local needs and what works

Understanding the specific needs and preferences of local learners ensured that initiatives were relevant and engaging. Practical considerations like venues, timing, and course structure made the programs more accessible and effective. Tailoring initiatives to local contexts, including making maths relatable and fun, contributed to the success of Multiply.

Engaging businesses

There was a challenge engaging businesses in the programme as there is already significant training provision for businesses in Northern Ireland. This over-provision may have affected employers’ overall willingness to engage with new programmes, regardless of topic.

Lessons learnt

Understand the problem and develop novel solutions

Maths anxiety and limited functional maths skills are a real challenge for individuals, even amongst those who have achieved a level 2 certification. Hiding the maths, or ‘maths by stealth’ helped to engage learners without overtly focusing on numeracy. Creative and fun initiatives like arts and crafts, DIY, and cooking classes made learning enjoyable and removed the stigma of being identified as poor at maths.

Address sustainability at the outset

To ensure a positive legacy for Multiply, beyond the one-year delivery window, a number of initiatives were developed to have a lasting impact on numeracy skills in Northern Ireland. These included professional development for FE tutors, teacher training sessions and supporting resources and ongoing public access to free resources. These resources and new pedagogies will remain active beyond the funding period.

The value of community engagement

Where and how initiatives are delivered impacts their effectiveness; community-based delivery was a key factor in the success of Multiply. Delivering sessions in familiar and accessible community settings helped reduced barriers to engagement and improve delivery partners’ understanding of learners’ needs.

Additional outcomes

Multiply has had an impact beyond numeracy skills. For many participants, attending an activity helped build their confidence, improve their well-being and for some was the very first steps in engagement with wider learning and towards employment. It is important to capture these additional outcomes or secondary consequences to ensure understanding of the impact of any programme.

1. Introduction

1.1. Multiply was a 3 year programme, delivering up to £559 million to improve the functional numeracy skills of adults across the UK. The programme ran from 2022 to 2025 and was delivered alongside the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

1.2. Multiply was delivered by lead Local Authorities (LAs) in Scotland and Wales, by MHCLG in Northern Ireland and by the Department for Education in England, with MHCLG transferring funding to cover costs.

1.3. This funding enabled lead LAs to develop initiatives that addressed local numeracy needs, boosted people’s ability to use maths in their everyday life and supported learners to achieve a numeracy qualification. Multiply included flexibilities that enabled the development of new and innovative projects, which often contextualised numeracy in the real world, enabling learners to develop and apply numeracy skills in a novel way.

1.4. Multiply interventions were targeted at adults (19+) who had not previously attained a Level 2/ Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 5 or higher maths qualification. These learners could have a specific numeracy need for work progression or want to improve their numeracy skills to help everyday living. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where the school leaving age is 16, Multiply funding could also apply to 16- to 19-year-olds at risk of becoming Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs).^{[footnote 1]}

1.5. Multiply guidance encouraged lead LAs to develop interventions in partnership with providers and employers, as well as other partners in their local area to maximise value for money and ensure delivery of effective learner solutions.

1.6. This report presents the findings of a deep dive into the design and delivery of Multiply interventions and initiatives in Northern Ireland, identifying the challenges experienced and lessons learned, along with innovative and promising practice.

2. Aims and methods

Evaluating Multiply: UKSPF Place evaluation

2.1. Multiply in England has been evaluated by the Department for Education; in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Multiply has been evaluated by MCHLG within the place-level element of the UKSPF evaluation.

2.2. The place-level case study element of UKSPF evaluation focuses on up to 34 lead LAs with the aim of building a detailed understanding of how UKSPF has worked in different places. As part of this work, research teams for Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland have explored a common set of process evaluation questions (see Table 1) to understand how Multiply has been implemented in the case-study areas outside of England: South West Wales, South East Wales, North Wales, Mid Wales, Northern Ireland (economic inactivity projects), Glasgow, Edinburgh, Highlands and North Ayrshire. This has utilised qualitative methods only, through interviews with Multiply leads in LAs and some local delivery partners.

Table 1: Multiply Process Evaluation Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland: Example research questions

• How were the spending decisions made?
• Which specific cohorts did you choose to target?
• Which specific barriers have you faced in delivering Multiply interventions, and how have you responded to them?
• What level of confidence would you have in delivering numeracy support again?

Deep dive research in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

2.3. To complement the place-based Multiply process evaluation work, a series of deep dives have been conducted to explore the delivery processes and identify the lessons around innovative and promising practice, as well as the challenges faced by specific place-based Multiply programmes in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. The deep dives have been conducted in Falkirk (Scotland), Wrexham (Wales) and Department for the Economy interventions in Northern Ireland. The Department for Education are conducting a full evaluation of the processes and impact of Multiply across England.

Northern Ireland – Deep dive research focus and methodology

2.4. The deep dive in Northern Ireland has focused on the £5.9 million Multiply programme delivered by the Department for the Economy.

2.5. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with officials from the Department for the Economy (3), local council officers (3) and Further and Higher Education sector colleagues who have been responsible for developing and delivering Multiply projects (3). These interviews addressed the process of developing and delivering Multiply in Northern Ireland, the experience of specific interventions and investigated the outputs, outcomes and impacts (including unexpected consequences), as well as the cohorts targeted by Multiply and future developments in relation to adult skills.

2.6. The deep dive has also drawn on evidence shared by beneficiaries and delivery partners at the Department for the Economy’s evaluation and celebration event held at Belfast City Hall on 26 February 2025.

2.7. In addition to the qualitative research, monitoring and expenditure data has been analysed to explore the type of interventions that have been delivered, the extent to which Multiply delivered intended outputs and outcomes, and the types of interventions which have delivered these.

3. Place context

3.1. A total of £8.75 million was allocated to Multiply in Northern Ireland. ^{[footnote 2]} This was divided between economic inactivity projects and projects delivered by the Department for the Economy (See Table 2). ^{[footnote 3]}

Table 2: Northern Ireland Multiply Allocation

Year	Allocation
2023/24	£1,399,337 allocated to 12 economic inactivity projects
2024/25	£1,661,983 allocated to 13 economic inactivity projects (taking account of project adjustments in year)
2024/25	£5,900,000 allocated to Department for the Economy project
Total	£2,850,320 allocated to economic inactivity projects
Total	£5,900,000 allocated to Department for the Economy

3.2. In Northern Ireland, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) led delivery of UKSPF and has worked with partners in Northern Ireland to develop an Investment Plan and delivery arrangements.

3.3. The Department for the Economy was allocated £5.9m to deliver Multiply initiatives via colleges, universities and local councils in partnership with voluntary and community organisations. Additionally, £2.8m of Multiply funding was allocated to support numeracy skills development as part of larger UKSPF projects designed to address economic inactivity.

3.4. Department for the Economy Multiply projects were all delivered within one year, between April 2024 and March 2025. This truncated delivery period was a result of the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly (2022 to 2024) and compares to a 3 year delivery period for Multiply in England, Wales and Scotland.

3.5. The Department for the Economy identified intervention themes and invited colleges, universities and local councils to make proposals to address the numeracy needs in their local area. See table 3.

Table 3

Department for the Economy Multiply Interventions

• Bring Your Grown Up
• Counting on You - Industry upskilling
• Engaging Mature Learners - Making It Count
• MSOL
• Supporting previous offenders and those in the prison system
• Numeracy boot camps
• Hypatia Teacher training
• Free learning resources

4. Research findings

4.1. Intervention and initiative design^{[footnote 4]}

Design overview

4.1.1. Engaging adults in lifelong learning is a key objective for the Department for the Economy, however, numeracy skills had not been identified as a particular priority prior to Multiply. The Department therefore anticipated that Multiply should support members of the adult population to re-engage with learning in a relatable way, alongside developing their numeracy skills.

4.1.2. Interventions to address adult numeracy skills on this scale were a new development in NI. In anticipation of Multiply funding, and due to delays in allocating funding related to the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Department for the Economy fully funded 3 pilot projects during 2023/4:

• Maths for Speakers of Other Languages (MSOL)
• Hypatia - a teacher/tutor training intervention focusing on pedagogy and the application of maths in a real world context, aiming to embed numeracy across Further Education (FE) learning and de-escalate maths related anxiety
• Bring Your Grown Up - an initiative to help adults to support their children with maths homework, this pilot also included upskilling teachers and delivering sessions in both formal educational and community settings

4.1.3. Oversight of the development and delivery of Multiply in NI was provided by the Multiply steering group which had been established in 2023. The steering group brought together stakeholders from local councils, the FE and Higher Education (HE) sectors, Department for the Economy and MHCLG. The Department for the Economy provided the secretariat function for the Multiply and the Steering Group. Once the interventions were defined, potential delivery partners were invited to participate in a Multiply workshop. ^{[footnote 5]} Following this, delivery partners submitted proposals that were reviewed by an assessment panel and, if successful, letters of approval were issued. Some local councils delivered Multiply directly or in partnership with their local networks. Others undertook their own contracting process to appoint local delivery partners.

4.1.4. Local councils predominately focused on community based alternative numeracy skills provision, with the FE and HE sectors developing certificated courses. However, there was crossover between community and college-based provision, with some local authorities commissioning services from the FE sector and some community-based delivery undertaken by the FE and HE sector.

4.1.5. The Multiply initiatives designed for delivery in NI included a mixture of completely new workshops and courses for new cohorts of learners, and adaptations of existing adult skills provision to support the development of numeracy skills.

Multiply design: challenges

Developing interventions and initiatives at pace

4.1.6. The truncated delivery period for Multiply in NI presented a number of challenges:

• Time pressures were significant with one council interviewee stating that the “pace is relentless, incredibly busy” and another interviewee from a council detailed how a “one year contract was offered first quarter of 2024, planning took into the second quarter with some delivery pushed into quarter 3 and 4 [this] ramped up pressure on the team, doing this [Multiply] alongside their own work”.
• Some delivery partners focused on projects that they knew they were able to deliver quickly (rather than acting more strategically) as there was a lack of time to develop new approaches or plans. Consequently, there have been a “mix of projects, some were adaptations of existing projects and some were new”.
• Stakeholders needed to be adaptable to ensure timescales were met. The Department for the Economy had originally planned for one organisation to lead on each of the intervention strands and develop a programme of initiatives, but this was not viable in the time available, and an alternative process was developed (see 4.1.3). One interviewee highlighted the value of reprofiling funding and being able to adapt and develop to changing circumstances.
• A lack of time for planning may have had other drawbacks: one interviewee explained how the “if initial work had been done then delivery would have been smoother”.
• Effective partnership working has been key to developing a Multiply offer that meets local needs. With some delivery partners developing new working relationships both within and beyond their organisation. For some this has been resource intensive, particularly given the time constraints, as there was “a lot of groundwork as Multiply was new” and “there was consultation and a lot of work and partnership with external stakeholders to come up with programmes that meet local needs”.

Scale of Multiply: impact on resources and capacity

4.1.7. The programme included funding for a Multiply Officer in each delivery partner. Recruiting for this role was often challenging due to lengthy internal recruitment processes that took several months. Additionally, the short-term nature of the posts and the lack of capacity within the local labour market further complicated the hiring process. “Some part of funding was for a multiply officer… but within institutions time for recruitment and staffing within this window was challenging. It can take 5 to 6 months to get someone in. Recruitment, advertising, approvals all eats into delivery [time].”

Perceptions and stigma around ‘maths’

4.1.8. Delivery partners recognised the common perception of maths as difficult and challenging, along with the barriers some learners face regarding numeracy. They were sensitive to the stigma associated with lacking functional maths skills and understood how this can prevent potential learners from accessing training. How this has understanding has impacted on the delivery of Multiply is explored in more depth in section 4.2.

Multiply design: Key success factors

The value of pilots

4.1.9. The 3 pilot projects (see 4.1) provided an opportunity for delivery partners to trial and test different approaches and develop resources ahead of Multiply funding. Lessons and resources from these pilots were shared with potential delivery partners to assist in the development or commissioning of local initiatives. The pilots meant that these ambitious programmes were ready to be rolled out as soon as funding was confirmed, facilitating delivery within a challenging timescale.

An effective secretariat/ central team

4.1.10. Interviewees stated that the Department for the Economy’s clear process and procedures, and the skills mix within the team, have been central to the effective delivery of multiply. “Department for the Economy have been outstanding in working at all levels - different deadlines and different mechanisms, they have been so responsive and accommodating in managing that - partly down to personalities and their ability to communicate the needs of Department for the Economy in a way that is understood”.

Building local capacity

4.1.11. Department for the Economy were aware of the potential lack of delivery capacity within local councils and FE colleges. To address this, Multiply funding included an allocation for a Multiply Officer for each delivery partner. This was important and made a tangible difference to local delivery: “…funding for a Multiply Officer, really helped as it took pressure off the councils in terms of finding the resources to deliver”. Some councils experienced challenges in filling these posts including: limited capacity in the local labour market when all councils were recruiting for similar posts at the same time, the short-term nature of posts (making them less attractive to potential applicants) and the timescales associated with council recruitment processes that all resulted in delays in making appointments. One interviewee reported how the council “relied on existing staff to deliver Multiply” as they were unable to recruit a Multiply Officer.

Understanding local needs

4.1.12. Interviewees highlighted the importance of understanding the local context and numeracy needs when developing Multiply initiatives. This included understanding the focus or subject and general approach to learning that are most likely to engage learners.

4.1.13. Practical considerations were also important. Delivery partners evaluated the venues, timings, and course structure that would make the initiative accessible to a specific cohort.

4.1.14. The delivery partners interviewed often relied on their existing knowledge of local needs rather than conducting specific research and analysis. This approach partly reflects the strong local connections of many Multiply Officers, and that the delivery timeline for Multiply left little opportunity to conduct new research or analysis. Additionally local Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) have existing analyses of local skills needs. One interviewee described how all initiatives in their area are approved by LMP board and full council, and how they are “led by the research we [LMP] have completed, including annual deep dive of local industry needs”.

Effective use of Multiply flexibilities: ‘One size does not fit all

4.1.15. The flexibilities offered by Multiply have supported the development of local solutions to address local needs.

4.1.16. One of these flexibilities was the relatively broad eligibility criteria. The programme was targeted at any adult (aged 19+) who had not achieved a Level 2 qualification in maths, plus 16 to-19 year olds who were at risk of being NEET. This enabled delivery partners to adapt initiatives to meet the needs their communities, and included developing initiatives for older learners, children and their ‘adults’, speakers of other languages (SOL), new comer communities and, (after the age limit was reduced) to 16 years for those at risk of becoming NEET. The freedoms that Multiply offered in terms of the sectors and cohorts that could benefit from interventions was praised by interviewees: “I have been impressed with how widespread and varied it is with each local council adapting Multiply to their own local needs and that’s what we wanted” and interviewees were clear that, when it comes to addressing numeracy skills: “One size doesn’t fit and that’s one thing that Multiply has proved”.  The ways these flexibilities have been used to deliver specific initiatives are explored in section 4.2.

Partnership working

4.1.17. Interviewees highlighted the importance of existing relationships, partnerships, and networks as well as the benefits of collaborating with different partners when designing interventions and initiatives. These benefits included: sharing ideas and approaches to foster innovative and novel designs, accessing support for problem solving specific challenges and the prevention, or at least reduction, of duplication when developing the local Multiply offer. One interviewee explained how the LMP provided oversight for local Multiply delivery and supported the Multiply Officer to develop new contacts both inside and beyond the local council. Other interviewees stated how the design process had helped develop strong partnerships within their own organisations or strengthened existing networks, for example with the migrant community.

Designing in sustainability

4.1.18. Many interventions and initiatives were designed with sustainability in mind, to ensure a Multiply legacy beyond the improved numeracy skills of immediate beneficiaries:

• Every Day Maths, developed and hosted by the Open University, provided two new virtual courses to improve numeracy skills and boost learners’ confidence in maths. These resources are free to access and will be available to any learner beyond the Multiply funding period.

• The Hypatia intervention provided professional development to enhance the skills of FE tutors. This initiative focused on the application of maths in a real work context to embed numeracy learning across FE and “Hypatia colleagues will have those skills for all of their career”.

• The Bring Your Grown Up intervention was designed to be an active and engaging learning experience for both children and adults, which may also help to break cycles of intergenerational maths anxiety. New and innovative resources including, Izak 9 cubes were made available to local delivery partners, such as schools. Teacher training was also provided with the intention that these resources and knowledge would be used to support the development of numeracy skills beyond the Multiply programme.

• Additionally, where Multiply was used to integrate new numeracy elements into existing courses or programmes, those resources and new approaches will be available beyond the funding period.

4.2. Intervention and initiative delivery

Delivery overview  

4.2.1. Delivery mechanisms for Multiply in NI have been shaped by local legislation that permits the Department for the Economy to allocate funding directly to FE, HE and local councils without the need for a further procurement processes. The 20 potential delivery partners for Multiply included the 11 local councils, five of the six NI FE colleges, the Open University, Ulster University and Stranmillis University College. Prior to Multiply the Department for the Economy had worked closely with the FE and HE sectors, however this was the first time that this team within the Department had allocated funds directly to local councils.

4.2.2. All 11 local councils have delivered at least one Multiply initiative through a combination of in-house and commissioned services. Initiatives and training sessions were sourced from a variety of internal and external providers, including small local organisations, larger adult numeracy specialists, and FE colleges.

4.2.3. All of Northern Irelands’ FE colleges have participated in Multiply, delivering a variety of initiatives. Some FE colleges have been commissioned by local councils to deliver on their behalf. The HE sector have delivered some larger scale projects, including:

• Online Everyday Maths courses developed and hosted by the Open University.
• In person Everyday Maths courses and Maths Made Simple sessions at primary schools delivered by Stranmillis University College.
• The Hypatia teacher training and the Bring Your Grown Up programmes developed by Ulster University.

Initiatives in the community

4.2.4. Both local councils and the FE/HE sector have delivered community-based initiatives. The form and content of community-based numeracy provision has been diverse, encompassing bootcamps, Maths for Everyday Life sessions, family fun through numeracy days, Health and Wellbeing workshops, 1:1 financial wellbeing boot camps, food and nutrition workshops, small group sessions, financial workshops for Speakers of Other Languages, understanding your pension and financial planning sessions and business finances. Many of the initiatives delivered under the Making it Count initiative for mature learners have taken a novel approach to developing numeracy skills through other activities including arts and craft, blacksmithing, DIY and orienteering.

4.2.5. The delivery structure of community initiatives has varied to ensure the needs of different target cohorts are met. There have been one off events, regular sessions delivered on the same day over a number of weeks or a couple of evenings. Sessions have been scheduled at different times of day, and been delivered in range of local venues, including community centres, libraries, leisure centres, schools and outdoor spaces. Some delivery partners have seen learners start with community-based initiatives and then move on to campus based provision.

Initiatives in formal educational settings

4.2.6. The FE/HE sector have delivered accredited courses, with the objective of supporting learners to achieve a Level 2+ maths qualification. These include GCSE Maths for adult learners and essential skills courses that are delivered over 50 hours. Some colleges have developed and embedded numeracy elements into existing vocational courses whilst others have developed a discrete Multiply programme of short vocational or leisure courses with numeracy elements.

4.2.7. The Hypatia was a teacher training intervention developed by Ulster University focused on building numeracy skills capacity and capability in the FE sector was delivered on campus.

4.2.8. Some interventions have been delivered in both formal and community settings. For example, Bring Your Grown Up sessions have been held in schools and community settings to help address accessibility (particularly for potentially reluctant adults who are entering school grounds anyway to drop off children). There have been innovative initiatives such as Male Maths Mentoring delivered on campus but in an informal way, “making it a different space to school” to support the engagement of hard to reach groups.

Business led initiatives

4.2.9. As part of the ‘Counting on You – Industry Upskilling’ FE and local councils worked with local employers to identify numeracy needs amongst their workforce needs and developed initiatives to address these, with delivery both on campus and at the workplace.

Delivering Multiply: Challenges

Local procurement processes

4.2.10. Local councils’ own procurement processes and timescales often added delays to the commissioning of services. It was suggested by some interviewees that some smaller, third sector organisations had been deterred from tendering to deliver Multiply initiatives as they considered council processes burdensome.

Recruiting learners: Maths anxiety and social stigma

4.2.11. Interviewees reported a mixed experience of recruiting learners. Some initiatives were oversubscribed, others struggled to fill places. Spaces on more formal and accredited courses tended to be the most difficult to fill. Interviewees suggested this was due to the overt maths content of these courses

4.2.12. All interviewees mentioned how difficult it can be to attract learners to maths and numeracy skills training: “when initiatives were first advertised it was saying that they are numeracy based. I was going out to my communities and nobody was interested, nobody was biting”

4.2.13. It is culturally acceptable to be negative about maths in the UK and many adults who have previously achieved a Level 2 qualification in maths, may still have limited functional numeracy skills or experience maths anxiety. There is also social stigma associated with not having numeracy qualifications, as these are often basic requirements for employment. This impacts learners’ receptiveness to maths-based courses: “A lot of people who are working don’t have GCSE maths and we need to get the messaging right, so they put themselves forward and don’t feel that they are being ridiculed”.

Engaging local employers

4.2.14. Some interviewees had found engaging local employers on numeracy challenging. Many job roles require a Level 2+ maths qualification so were not eligible for Multiply funding. In addition, there is already significant training provision for businesses in Northern Ireland and one interviewee explained how local businesses “say they are receiving too much information from the council… [we are] looking at ways to improve and slim this down, possibly [a] single contact once a month or so”. This may have affected employers overall willingness to engage with new programmes, regardless of topic.

4.2.15. The timescale for delivering Multiply also made developing initiatives with local employers difficult: “We are doing projects next year via LMP that are going out and delivering training into employers – [we] would have liked to have done that with Multiply but it was an issue of timing and resources. We have done the foundation work to make that happen but we’re not able to take it to the next stage”.

Working at scale and pace

4.2.16. The truncated delivery period for Multiply resulted in £5.9m spend on adult numeracy skills provision in one year. This has involved a large number of stakeholders, new areas of work and new processes.

1 - Workload

4.2.17. Interviewees noted the administrative burden of Multiply, with one describing how the, “time and resources involved when we have so many individual providers from an administrative perspective, was more than we anticipated. [We also] needed different approaches to support different learning and new relationships.” With another interviewee highlighting how specific processes were “resource intensive”. Another described how Multiply is a “big project” noting that “the pace is relentless” and “we are incredibly busy”. Multiply Officers have required additional resources during periods of high demand and have relied on internal support to ensure successful delivery, for example a Labour Market Partnership officer provided assistance at fun days.

2 - Capacity of local education providers

4.2.18. Due to Multiply, all local councils across Northern Ireland were procuring adult numeracy support at the same time, leading to competition among councils as demand for educators outstripped supply: “Those who went out later received fewer proposals as the companies who would normally submitted had tendered for the earlier contracts with other councils and so didn’t have the capacity”.

3 - Timing

4.2.19. Interviewees described how “the time pressures associated with Multiply have been relentless and were there from the start”. One interviewee explained how there were “delays at [the start of the] programme resulting in a 9-month delivery window”. Working with this demanding time frame meant that, some initiatives or activities were not scheduled optimally and on this impacted on learner recruitment, for example “recruiting over Christmas and trying to get things up and running in January didn’t work”.

Delivering the ‘right’ initiatives

4.2.20. Delivery partners developed diverse portfolio of initiatives. Despite the success of design based on local needs, not all ideas for courses were well-received and some have faced challenges in recruiting learners. For example, a wellness in retirement group had been offered a session on fraud prevention, but the learners did not want to focus on this topic. One interviewee suggested that learners didn’t want to feel “chastised” or that they were failing in some respect.

Maths for Speakers of Other Languages (MSOL)

4.2.21. Some interviewees highlighted challenges associated with delivering MSOL; the nature of these challenges varied depending on the local context. In some places there was a lack of capacity, with not enough tutors to deliver MSOL initiatives; in other areas, delivery partners experienced challenges engaging this cohort of potential learners. Interviewees also highlighted the key role that literacy skills play in accessing numeracy training and how concepts of number vary culturally. This has led to further time and consideration needed to get the content of courses right for the target group.

4.2.22. These factors are important to consider for development of future MSOL courses as some delivery partners demonstrated how numeracy-based initiatives can be used to break down language barriers and support integration, enabling learners to engage with other support and develop their skills further.

External factors

4.2.23. External factors impacting on local capacity to deliver numeracy skills for adults across NI included:

• a voluntary exit scheme for FE tutors, which resulted in reduced capacity as tutors left the profession during 2024
• a large number of 16/17 year olds retaking maths GCSEs in 2024/5 which increased the demand for FE college’s core offer

Delivering Multiply: What worked

Recruiting learners

4.2.24. Interviewees highlighted the importance of developing appropriate marketing and promotion materials and using the most relevant media channels for their target audience. These included social media but word of mouth was also effective, as one interviewee explained: “what’s been crucial is setting content out clearly so people understood what they were coming for”. Another interviewee described how attendance at community-based makers workshops snowballed because of local networks and personal contacts. Another explained how there had been “been a high demand… once it [the course] has been repackaged and advertised in a different way” and that “people were improving their maths skills without realising that’s what they are doing and uptake was very, very good.” Getting the marketing right mattered one interviewee describe the action they had taken to support recruitment of learners “so I changed the marketing I didn’t mention about improving your numeracy skills, when people hear the word Maths they are like ‘no’ so I put more emphasis on the courses rather than the maths”.

4.2.25. Interviewees acknowledged the stigma that can be associated with poor numeracy skills. To mitigate this some initiatives adopted a ‘fishing net’ approach to recruiting learners. This resulted in some attendees who held a level 2 qualification in maths benefiting from initiatives. As one interviewee put it “we are targeting those who have lower attainment in maths but we would offer the course for all so individuals aren’t singled out.” The national Bring Your Grown Up initiative was delivered across NI rather than targeted at specific neighbourhoods, with the aim of minimising any stigma associated with attending.

4.2.26. Interviewees talked about the power of engaging adults through their children. This was used as a ‘hook’ to encourage potential learners to sign up and take part in Multiply activities.

4.2.27. It is likely there have been more beneficiaries of Multiply in NI than recorded in the monitoring information, as learners who hold a Level 2 in maths will not have been counted.

Understanding learners needs and wants: hiding the maths

4.2.28. Interviewees were clear that different learners had different needs and wants, and that initiatives had to be relatable and fun to engage learners. Older learners tended to engage well in the ‘softer’ courses such as arts and crafts, and hobby-based initiatives such as DIY or hill walking. Health and wellness and food and nutrition courses were also popular. Some learners were keen to engage with sessions on personal finance, which were more clearly maths oriented, but other were not.

4.2.29. Interviewees referred to the need for ‘maths by stealth, ‘hiding the maths’ and ‘numeracy in disguise’. For example, disguising the numeracy skills in cooking and nutrition courses, or by making the ‘hidden’ numeracy relatable and real world based. Interviewees said that these approaches were key to engaging learners and breaking through maths anxiety: “activities needed to be fun and engaging to bring in those hardest to reach”.

4.2.30. Other initiatives met learners’ needs through a vocational approach, for example hair, beauty and carpentry. Interviewees reported how there were “lots of time people have said ‘I never knew maths could be fun’”.

Initiatives in the community

4.2.31. Community based delivery has advantages for learners. Many were more comfortable taking part in an initiative in familiar surroundings: “it’s important to offer the courses in the community, because sometime people want to stay in their community. It might be their first introduction to education so doing it out of their community would be scary”. There are also practical considerations such as ease of access and travel times. One interviewee reported how older learners who attended community-based initiatives had gone on to attend sessions on a collage campus, something they would have refused to do at the start of the programme.

4.2.32. As well as delivering sessions in the community some interviewees explained how their organisations had made formal settings more maths friendly, through the creation of “maths hubs and appropriate resources for adult learners… a lot of maths learners find maths very abstract [so] our challenge is to make that concrete so they can visualise the concepts”.

Working with employers

4.2.33. Interviewees highlighted the importance of understanding employers’ needs and objectives when developing Multiply initiatives. One interviewee described how their organisation had engaged with a large local public sector employer to deliver essential skills training to help address numeracy skills. A flexible approach was key to the success of this initiative with different cohorts having different numeracy and learning needs. Flexibilities around the logistics of delivering these sessions were also important with some training delivered on site and some on campus.

Flexibility in delivery

4.2.34. The flexibilities offered by Multiply have enabled delivery partners to adapt and respond to the local context. This has aided the delivery of Multiply during a challenging timescale. As one interviewee stated: “flexibilities allow a local response as we try to reach the hardest to reach”. Another described how they “changed [and] redeveloped areas that weren’t doing so well and now have 13 initiatives under 5 interventions… things that I knew would work better with our communities and the public”.

4.2.35. Working at a fast pace has resulted in local delivery partners quickly identifying what works and what doesn’t. One interviewee described how “the programme became quite dynamic and changed as we went along”. Collaborating with Department for the Economy to reprofile spending has resulted in additional places being delivered on the most successful and popular courses.

4.2.36. Flexibilities have also supported new approaches to partnership working, for example one LMP was able to work with their local college to deliver a joint event without the usual procurement processes as both organisations were delivery partners.

A partnership approach

4.2.37. Local networks and partnerships have played an important role in the success of Multiply, and interviewees described how “ground level networking is crucial for success”.

4.2.38. Some delivery partners had long history of out-reach work with their local communities and were able to use these relationships and networks to advertise and build local understanding of Multiply interventions: “local connections are critical, we have to capitalise on existing networks, say sports networks, to get out information about new courses and encourage people in.” Interviewees also described how their connections with local partnerships and networks helped to establish the credibility of Multiply initiatives.

4.2.39. As part of Multiply, some delivery partners have invested resources in developing new local networks and relationships. One interviewee described how it had taken “some work to get stakeholders on board” and how they now had “good working relationships” and a “solid base of contacts”. They discussed how some of these community organisations were now hosting Multiply initiatives.

Working relationships with Department for the Economy

4.2.40. All interviewees were enthusiastic about the positive working relationship they had with the Department for the Economy and the importance of this for successful delivery of Multiply. This included the responsiveness to and the understanding of local challenges, which was described as “Government at its best”.

4.2.41. The clarity of the Department for the Economy’s reporting requirements were praised by interviewees; comments made included “requirements were clear from the outset - that makes managing them easier” and “monitoring requirements were not burdensome… much easier than ESF [European Social Fund] requirements”.

4.2.42. Although it wasn’t a Multiply flexibility, existing legislation allowed the Department for the Economy to allocate funding directly to delivery partners. This removed the need for additional procurement processes, sped up delivery and supported the implementation of initiatives within short timescales.

4.3. Outcomes & impacts

Primary outcomes

4.3.1. The Department for the Economy’s Multiply interventions have two quantitative outcome targets: the number of people participating in Multiply courses and the number of adults achieving a maths qualification up to Level 2.

4.3.2. By the end of December 2024 (Quarter 3 of 2024/25) the target for the number of people participating in courses had been exceeded. Courses that result in adult learners achieving a qualification take longer to deliver and it is anticipated that these outcomes will be delivered during Quarter 4. See table 4.

Table 4: Quantitative outcome measures for Multiply

	Target	Number achieved	% achieved
(by 31/12/24)
Number of adults achieving maths qualifications up to, and including, Level 2 equivalent	1500	246	16%
Number of people participating in Multiply funded courses	2150	2289	106%

4.3.3. The Department for the Economy played an important role in supporting delivery partners to act on their understanding of what was working locally, and what wasn’t, enabling them to reprofile spend to ensure that resources were effectively targeted at initiatives that would engage learners. This included a second round of bids (September to October) where reprofiling allowed some initiatives to be withdrawn and replaced with initiatives local councils knew they could deliver.

4.3.4. Despite this, not all delivery partners have been able to deliver everything they had planned. In some cases this was a result of the tight timescales, and some projects hit specific challenges, particularly around staffing.

Multiply beneficiaries

4.3.5. A wide range of adult learners have participated in Multiply interventions in NI, including:

• adults of all ages including older learners
• employees
• young people Not in Education Employment or Training (NEETs)
• ‘Grown ups’ and their children
• speakers of other languages/ newcomer communities
• offenders and those in the prison system

4.3.6. Multiply was a very broadly targeted programme at any adult who did not hold a Level 2 qualification in maths. Whilst certain interventions were targeted at specific cohorts, for example Maths for Speakers of Other Languages. There was a tendency for engagement with learners through businesses to be reported as more difficult to achieve within the time frame of Multiply.

Outcomes, impacts and additional outcomes

4.3.7. Interviewees detailed how Multiply has resulted a range of formal outcomes, impacts and additional outcomes. For learners these include:

• confidence around numeracy skills
• improved vocational skills, beyond numeracy
• accessing further courses or training
• accessing new job opportunities
• monetising hobbies or vocational skills, following improved numeracy
• improved ability to budget effectively
• ability to apply new numeracy skills to everyday life - from reading bus timetables to being able to calculate the quantity of materials needed for a DIY task
• improved well-being
• improved mental health
• making more informed choices when shopping (for example understanding the cost of ‘special offers’)
• cooking skills and improved understanding of nutrition
• an improved understanding of medical data i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes readings, BMI and nutrition, resulting in better informed and more engaged patients and carers
• getting people ready to start to move towards employment

Multiply, well-being and social inclusion

4.3.8. For some learners attending a Multiply course was a major achievement. Interviewees shared examples of those with severe social anxiety developing the confidence to come out of the house and take part in a Multiply initiative, and how  potentially life changing this is: “Multiply has often been softer skills courses, often you need to work on the well-being and mental health and confidence first, you need to build those things before you can progress people onto more, and that has been a real benefit of Multiply”.

4.3.9. The way in which Multiply promoted social inclusion was an important impact identified by interviewees. This included engaging harder to reach groups such as newcomer communities and those not in education employment or training. As one interviewee said, “I always knew that Multiply would be so much more than just improving the maths skills because of understanding the community needs and how involvement is a big thing for well-being and communities”.

Additional outcomes for delivery partners and other stakeholders

4.3.10. Multiply has had a range of wider impacts for the partners who delivered the initiatives. In particular, improved links with local communities and community groups has resulted in a better understanding of local needs and what works locally, for example designing new courses with the most appropriate activities and structure, i.e. length of sessions. Multiply has increased local capacity for delivering numeracy skills, with more providers and potential venues.

4.3.11. Multiply has also improved capacity and capability within community groups, for example volunteers who now have more confidence in bookkeeping or are better skilled to apply for future funding.

4.3.12. Multiply has also fostered increased collaboration within delivery organisations, such as across council departments. One interviewee described how the “deeper collaboration between maths and ESOL educators” had benefitted learners by making maths more accessible and resulting in wider engagement of this cohort of learners by connecting ESOL/MSOL with other essential skills provision. Another interviewee said that college tutors had been enthused by their involvement in Multiply.

Developing a new social relationship with Numeracy

4.3.13. It was also suggested that learners’ experience of Multiply has helped to develop a more positive social relationship with maths, with increased perceptions of numeracy as functional and relevant.

Sustainability: Beyond Multiply

4.3.14. Sustainability has been built into a number of Multiply interventions and initiatives with the objective of securing outcomes and impacts beyond the funding period. These include free to access resources developed by the Open University and the Hypatia teacher training which has resulted in a skilled cohort of FE tutors to support learners to develop numeracy skills across vocational subjects and is now being offered as part of CPD for teachers and tutors. The maths training provided to teachers as part of the Bring Your Grown Up intervention is a further resource that is available to support numeracy interventions along with the supporting materials and the Izak 9 resources.

4.3.15. Multiply has resulted in new demand for training and engaged new learners, at the same time raising expectations within local communities. However, when funding ends, most of the new numeracy training for adults will cease. Concern was expressed that unmet expectations could lead to disappointment and make it more challenging to rebuild these relationships and engage these learners and communities in the future.

5. Conclusions

5.1. This deep dive has identified several factors that have contributed to the success of programme design, delivery and the achievement of desired impacts and outputs of Multiply in NI. The findings are summarised below.

Conclusions: Supporting successful intervention and initiative design

5.1.1. Partnerships

Effective partnerships were crucial in developing a timely and appropriate response to adult numeracy needs in NI. These partnerships, comprising both new and existing working relationships, supported effective communication and facilitated collaboration across organisations. By sharing experiences and solutions, partners were able to address challenges more efficiently and support problem-solving efforts.

5.1.2. Vision, leadership and clarity

The leadership and vision provided the Department for the Economy, along with effective processes and procedures were cited by several interviewees as a key success factor. This leadership helped established a framework that enabled delivery partners to develop a set of initiatives that met local needs while contributing to the national objectives for Multiply.

Associated with this was the clarity of aims and objectives for Multiply in NI, along with clearly specified processes and procedures for developing initiatives. This approach supported the development of effective working relationships between Department for the Economy and local delivery partners.

5.1.3. Understanding local needs and what works locally

Understanding of the needs of local learners was key to designing interventions that engaged beneficiaries and supported them to develop their numeracy skills. For Multiply, ‘hiding the maths’ and ‘making maths fun’, relatable and based in the real world was crucial for developing initiatives that met learners’ needs.

5.1.4. Capacity building

Additional capacity was required to develop and deliver initiatives at such a large scale. The demands placed on delivery partners by Multiply were acknowledged at an early stage. Every delivery partner received ringfenced funding for a short-term Multiply Officer position to help build capacity and this dedicated internal resource was essential for successful delivery. However, some organisations faced challenges recruiting for this position due to a lack of capacity in the local labour market and the temporary nature of the posts.

Conclusions: supporting effective programme and project delivery

Partnership working and local networks

5.1.5. Local partnerships and networks supported the delivery of Multiply. These relationships resulted in improved understanding of local needs, fostered collaborative working, identified potential duplication and achieved synergies. Developing effective working relationships with local community groups and networks helped inform the development of appropriate initiatives, recruit new learners and delivery partners engage hard to reach groups. Connecting with partnerships and networks has helped build local capacity and required appropriate resourcing, see 5.1.4. Both existing partnerships and new structures have supported the delivery of Multiply, including new partnerships within organisations.

Understanding needs and wants

5.1.6. Understanding the needs and requirements of local learners, including barriers to participation, has been key to delivering appropriate initiatives that are engaging and accessible to learners. Knowledge and understanding of local needs coupled with the ability to act on this have contributed to successful delivery of Multiply (see 5.1.7. Flexibility below).

5.1.7. Flexibility

The flexibilities offered by Multiply have empowered local delivery partners to develop initiatives that meet the needs of local learners, resulting in improved uptake and engagement. These flexibilities, coupled with effective working relationships with The Department for the Economy, have enabled delivery partners to respond agilely to successes and challenges in local delivery. The deep dive evidence highlights the value of a flexible approach to enable adaptations to be made in response to changes in local circumstances by modifying content, structure, or delivery mechanisms and reprofile spend, for example extending or curtailing specific initiatives.

5.1.8. Inclusive provision

To increase the reach of Multiply and reduce barriers to participation resulting from the stigma of poor maths skills some initiatives were open to all potential learners, rather than strictly to those who had not achieved a Level 2 qualification in maths. This approach had the benefit of ‘catching’ targeted as well as additional beneficiaries.

Conclusions: supporting enhanced outputs and impact

Addressing local needs

5.1.9. Working with partnerships and networks resulted in initiatives and delivery that address local needs, are accessible to learners and this contributed to Multiply achieving desired outputs and outcomes.

Legacy

5.1.10. Several Multiply interventions and initiatives, including the Hypatia programme, were designed to achieve long-term outcomes and impact beyond the one year delivery period. Considering and planning for sustainability at the design stage was especially valuable when working with time limited funds.

Additional outcomes and impacts

5.1.11. Multiply in NI has delivered a series of important outcomes and impacts beyond the agreed programme targets. These additional outcomes have added value to the overall impact of the interventions and initiatives. By identifying potential additional outcomes and impacts at the design stage, and taking proactive steps to realise them, the wider impact of projects can be maximised. Even if they are beyond the scope of the initial fund they may support other local or national objectives.

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1. However, UKSPF cannot be used where there is a statutory duty to undertake the activity, or if the activity is fully funded by other sources. ↩

2. The original Multiply allocation for NI had been £21.9 million. However, this was adjusted and reallocated during the NI Executive restoration negotiations. ↩

3. Economic inactivity projects have delivered a range of holistic support for people who are economically inactive to take steps to secure employment or self-employment, some of these projects included Multiply funded elements. ↩

4. In Northern Ireland ‘interventions’ is an overarching term for the Multiply themes and ‘initiatives’ is used to describe the individual activities and courses developed and delivered under each of the intervention themes. ↩

5. Throughout the rest of this report delivery partners refers to the 20 FE/HE institutions and local councils who made successful proposals to deliver Multiply funded initiatives. ↩