Identify the type of evaluation that you would conduct to answer your stakeholders’ questions about the program

Program Evaluation Response

By Day 3, submit your original post, answering the questions listed below. Please include in your header and use the format listed below these instructions.

This list describes what you will do, but don’t write anything yet. You will insert your responses into the formatted questions below.

Program Description

  1. Name a program with which you may be familiar, either through work in an agency, as an interested community member, or as a planner, provider, or participant. Make up a name for the program and organization that delivers it (if any) to keep information about the program private. If you do not have experience with a program, choose one from the Internet. (Use a few words only to name the program). (1 sentence)
  2. In one sentence, categorize the program from the list below, taken from the Center for the Community Health and Development Tool Box paragraph 7, Examples of Different Programs: https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/evaluate/evaluation/framework-for-evaluation/main
    1. Direct service interventions (for example, a program that offers free breakfast to improve nutrition for grade school children)
    2. Community mobilization efforts (e.g., organizing a boycott of California grapes to improve the economic well-being of farm workers)
    3. Research initiatives (e.g., an effort to find out whether inequities in health outcomes based on race can be reduced)
    4. Advocacy work (e.g., a campaign to influence the state legislature to pass legislation regarding tobacco control)
    5. Social marketing campaigns (e.g., a campaign [to engage fathers to help their sons learn conflict resolution skills to reduce gun violence in a community]
    6. Training programs such as a job training program to reduce unemployment in urban neighborhoods.

(Adapted from the Center for the Community Health and Development Tool Box paragraph 7, Examples of Different Programshttps://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/evaluate/evaluation/framework-for-evaluation/main)

  1. In 1-3 sentences identify the intended recipients of the program (children, adolescents, persons with XYZ illness or disability, persons struggling with…, and so on).
  2. Identify the generalgoals of the program. Look for inspiring words (empower, enable, heal, build, improve health, and so on). These are often stated in the mission statement for the program or somewhere on the program website
  3. Name the specific task of the program or intended outcomesof the program for the target recipients. These might include helping parents navigate online learning at Walden Middle School, finding shelter space for families to stay together, offering a support group for families who have lost a member due to COVID, or teaching children of wounded veterans how to manage their parent’s service dog appropriately, for example.
  4. Select TWO different types of stakeholders for your program besides the target recipients from the table below or others that you may know.

Table 1

CATEGORIES OF STAKEHOLDERS

EXAMPLES OF STAKEHOLDERS

Implementers Program directors, agency management, staff who support or provide the program services
Partners Those who support the people involved in the program and are invested in its success: parents, teachers, corrections and law enforcement officers, medical personnel, etc.
Policy and decision makers Local politicians, community leaders, advocates
Funders Agencies, foundations, private donors

(Adapted from W. K. Kellogg Foundation, 2017, p. 94)

If you don’t know the stakeholders of your program or it is fictional, use your judgment to identify two types of people who may be affected by the success or failure of the program. Do not use actual names of individuals. You can use made-up names or identify the stakeholders by their role in the agency or the community (administrator, concerned parent, parole officer, etc.). Only two students can choose the same example of stakeholder.

Evaluation Process

  1. Name one questionfrom each of the TWO different types of stakeholdersthat they may want you to answer through your evaluation(s) (process or product) for the program you described in #1. Some concerns may include, but not be limited to those on this list of stakeholder program questions. You may select from this list or from other concerns of stakeholders that you may know about. Provide your rationale (2 sentences for each stakeholder).
  2. Identify the type of evaluation that you would conduct to answer your stakeholders’ questions about the program and provide your rationale. Hint: review the definitions of the two kinds of evaluations before answering this question. This is where most students make mistakes. You need to know this information for future weeks, too.
  3. Name one concernfor each of your TWO different types of stakeholdersregarding your process for evaluating the program (not for describing the program itself) (one sentence each). Examples are below:
  • Who will collect the data for the evaluation? What skills do they have to ensure that their findings are inclusive, valid, and fair to all?
  • How will the evaluators reach participants, community members, or others who may be difficult to locate or who may be reluctant to offer their response or views of the program?
  • How much time will it take to complete a full and fair evaluation of the program? Will the evaluation be complete in time for submitting another grant request by the deadline?
  • How will stakeholders get the results of the program evaluation?
  • If there are criticisms of staff or program participants, what will evaluators do to handle the people involved with respect and maintain confidentiality?
  • Will the evaluation make it possible for people in the community to identify any of the program recipients, participants, or beneficiaries? Will the identities of program participants be kept confidential? Will pictures of participants in the program be used in materials for the public?
  1. In 2-3 sentences each, explain how you would address the stakeholder concerns about your evaluation process that you identified in #2 directly above.

 

 

Discussion. Use this format for your responses.

Program Description

  1. The program I will evaluate is (fictional name)_________, sponsored and staffed by (fictional organization name)_____________.
  2. The ____ program is a (name the type of program from the list in #2 above).
  3. The target individuals to benefit from the program (beneficiaries) are ____.
  4. The general goal of the [name] __________ program for the target beneficiaries is ________.
  5. The specific [select one: task or goal] of the [name or program] ___________ is ___________. If the program is successful, each recipient would (select one: obtain or achieve) ______________ [identify a specific benefit or goal that can be counted or measured in some manner]
  6. Two types of stakeholders that have an interest in this program, other than the program participants, are _____ and _____.

Evaluation Process

    1. List your selected stakeholders from #6 above and one question that the stakeholder may have about the program.
Stakeholder (list two) What question might this stakeholder want you to answer in an evaluation of the program? Use an open-ended question.
  1. Explain which type of evaluation (process or product) would address the stakeholder’s question and provide a rationale:

To address the question from (Stakeholder #1) _______ regarding ______________ (program name), I would conduct a ____________ evaluation. This type of evaluation is appropriate for this question because _______(Maximum 3 sentences).

To address the question from (Stakeholder #2 _______ regarding ______________ (program name), I would conduct a _____________ evaluation. This type of evaluation is appropriate for this question because _______(Maximum 3 sentences).

  1. List your stakeholders and a different concern each might have regarding the process of obtaining information for the evaluation
Stakeholder What concern would this stakeholder have about the process of evaluating the program? Use an open-ended question.
  1. Explain how you would address the stakeholders’ concerns for an ethical, fair, and useful evaluation:

I would address (Stakeholder #1)’s concern about the evaluation process by ___________ (3 sentences)

I would address (Stakeholder #2)’s concern about the evaluation process by ___________ (3 sentences)

 

Subject: Social Science

 

 

Document: Logan, T. K., & Royse, D. (2010). Program evaluation studies. In B. Thyer (Ed.), The handbook of social work research methods (2nd ed., pp. 221–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (PDF)

 

Dudley, J. R. (2014). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do. (2nd ed.) Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books.

 

 

 

This is important.

The goal of this week’s information is to begin showing you how social service programs are analyzed and evaluated. If you work in an agency, you may be involved in evaluating programs at some point in your career. The format we will use in this week’s work is widely used in social service agencies, hospitals, schools, and other human service organizations.

To prepare for this Discussion, think of a program within an agency with which you are familiar. We will use your experiences with these programs to observe how programs can be evaluated to obtain different types of information. You will not be asked to identify the name of the program or the organization that is responsible for it in your discussion posts.

Your tasks this week include the following:

  1. posting a brief summary of a program with which you are familiar
  2. recommending a program evaluation model that would answer important questions about the program. Examples might include questions such as “is the program effective? Are funds being spent as pledged? Are participants satisfied with the program?”, to name a few.
  3. explaining the potential benefits of a program evaluation.
  4. identifying 2–3 concerns that stakeholders might have about your process of obtaining information for the proposed evaluation (What information will you seek? Whom will you ask? Will recipients and staff have a voice? Who gets the results?), and describing how you would address those concerns. (adapted from Walden University, 2019)

This week, we will explore two types of program evaluations: process evaluations and product evaluations. Understanding the difference between process and product evaluations is essential for success with the discussion and assignment this week.

Product vs. Process evaluations: What’s the difference?

  1. a) Processevaluations ask HOW the program activities and services are delivered. They review and assess details about how services are planned and delivered and HOW WELLthey are delivered in terms of the plan for the program. They may focus on the steps involved in implementing the program.

Typical questions include these: How are participants invited to the program? Who delivers the services? How often? When? What obstacles for delivering them arose? How satisfied with the program are the staff and recipients? What should be changed?

Process evaluations inform program developers, funders, staff, and stakeholders about how closely the project followed the strategy laid out in the logic model [which we will work on next week].(1) …a process evaluation focuses on the [planning and delivery of activities and services] and how they work together.

Process evaluations allow evaluators to make the important distinction between implementation failure [(that is, inability to provide activities and services with the quality intended)] and theory failure [(that is, the hypothesis about the causes and solutions to a problem was wrong)].

Implementation failure [occurs when there is] a lack of expected results due to poor implementation practices, such as unmet [goals] due to an insufficient number of trained [staff] or breakdowns in transportation….. Theory failure [occurs] when program activities are implemented to the standards of the program design strategy but expected outcomes are not found, meaning the theory that linked the activities to expected outcomes is incorrect. (Unite for Sight, 2015) In other words, the theory of change regarding a problem is wrong.

[In contrast, a product evaluation, also called an impact evaluation is [structured around one particular type of question: What is the impact … of a program on an outcome of interest [that is, the purpose or aim of the program]? … we are interested only in the impact of the program, that is, …the changes in outcome that are directly attributable to the program [rather than internal events, such as maturation, or external events such as positive or negative events in the social, financial, or physical environment] (Gertler et al., 2011)

Process evaluations are sometimes called formative or implementation evaluations. For our purposes, we will address performance and process evaluations together as a process evaluation.

Product evaluations ask whether the program is meeting its goals. They explore the outcomes produced by the program – positive, negative, or neutral – for the participants and others who may be affected by the program. Product evaluations also involve auditing the program components (funding, budgets, and resources) to ensure that funds are spent appropriately and to assess whether budgets, staff, and resources are adequate for the program to achieve its goals. Product evaluations are sometimes called outcome, effectiveness, or summative evaluations.

What to watch, read, and think about this week. There are several sources to review, but they are brief:

  1. Get a firm understanding of the differences between process and product evaluationsThis distinction is essential for your success this week.

1.See pages 26-27 of A Step-by-Step Guide to Program Evaluation, from TSNE, an organization that assists non-profits evaluate its programs [https://www.tsne.org/blog/process-evaluation-vs-outcome-evaluation], and Glesmann (2016) (https://www.nccdglobal.org/newsroom/nccd-blog/comparing-process-and-outcome-evaluations) for a detailed description of these two types of program evaluations and the questions that might be answered by them.

  1. Read pages 221-227 from Chapter 13 of B. Thyer (Ed.), The handbook of social work research methods(2nd ed.) “Program Evaluation Studies”.
  2. Read Chapter 3 of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation (pp. 25-34). The link to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook(https://www.wkkf.org/resource-directory/resource/2010/w-k-kellogg-foundation-evaluation-handbook) is on the Dashboard for this week. When the page opens, there are several booklets shown; select the Evaluation Handbook (the 3rdentry on the main page near the right margin) and download it. When it opens, it will be entitled Step-by-step process of evaluating programs. Download and keep this booklet because we will use it in future weeks.
  3. Skimthe webpage from the University of Kansas Center for Community Health and Development on program evaluation and notice the questions that are asked in process and product evaluations. You’ll find the information here: Center for Community Health and Development. (2017). Chapter 36, Section 1: A Framework for Program Evaluation: A Gateway to Tools. https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/evaluate/evaluation/framework-for-evaluation/main.
  4. Learn about the role of stakeholders and fundersin an evaluation process.

Stakeholders are members of the community who may be consumers of the program or those who have an interest in the success of the program for resolving a community problem. They may be interested because they think that there is a moral imperative to provide the services made available by the program. At each stage of the program, it is important to engage stakeholders and become aware of their concerns because no program can succeed without stakeholder involvement and approval.

Stakeholders include recipients and people indirectly affected by the recipients’ needs, such as parents, teachers, and police who may support the program because it will relieve a problem that they may have to deal with.

Stakeholders include agency administrators or organization leaders and staff who will plan and conduct the program.

Stakeholders also include community leaders, funders, and evaluators who will assess the program, monitor the program impact, and determine whether it meets the needs of the community in a fiscally and socially responsible manner.

You will need information about stakeholders to complete the learning objectives this week. Learn about stakeholders and their concerns here:

  1. The Center for Community Health and Development. (2017). Chapter 36, Section 1: A Framework for Program Evaluation: A Gateway to Tools.Look on the left margin and open Section 3: Understanding Community Leadership, Evaluators, and Funders: What Are Their Interestshttps://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/evaluate/evaluation/interests-of-leaders-evaluators-funders/main
  2. W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Step-by-Step Guide to Evaluation(pp. 93-34).
  3. Please see this handout,entitled Possible Stakeholder Questions, adapted from Krupar (2019) for a list of questions often included in evaluations to address stakeholders’ concerns. There are many more questions, based on the phase of the program (part-way through or at the end), local community issues, and the features of the target population.

Your task in this discussion

For this discussion, you will complete some aspects of evaluating a program with which you have had some experience as a planner, provider, or recipient, if possible. The program does not have to be a social work program, but it should have some features of one, attempting to mitigate a problem or lack in the community. School, food shelves, and recreation programs are acceptable if you have never worked in an agency or participated in an agency program.

If you do not know of any programs, you may have to read about some programs on the Internet and use your imagination to answer some of these questions. The Brookings Institute has a webpage, Social programs that work, (https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2014/12/01/social-programs-that-work/) with programs from which you may choose if you wish.

 

 

  1. K. Kellogg Foundation. (2017). The step-by-step guide to evaluation: How to become savvy evaluation consumers. Retrieved from https://www.wkkf.org/resource-directory/resources/2017/11/the-step-by-step-guide-to-evaluation–how-to-become-savvy-evaluation-consumers

 

https://www.wkkf.org/resource-directory/resources/2017/11/the-step-by-step-guide-to-evaluation–how-to-become-savvy-evaluation-consumers

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