Gov 621 Program Evaluation Exercise 1
Proverbs 19
20Get all the advice and instruction you can, and be wise the rest of your life.
21You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.
The purpose of this exercise is for you to begin to apply the basic program evaluation principles. As such, your first task is to select a specific program that would be suitable for a rigorous assessment. The program can be a ministry, work, or other type of nonprofit program. The key is to select a program that delivers a specific service and is limited in size and scope, given your resource and time restrictions. For example, you can assess a workplace training program, a church after-school program, a neighborhood watch program, or the effectiveness of a community food bank. This project can provide valuable information to improve program services and is consistent with our Christian mission to be light and salt. The key is to select a program that interests you, is of manageable size, program personnel are cooperative, and information is accessible.
The length of your response is five pages maximum for each part, a total of 10 pages. Use bullet form for the narrative component.
Part 1
Your specific tasks:
1. Introduce the program to be studied. Describe its general purpose and include information on its size, budget, and specific services offered. Discuss why you selected this program.
2. Determine the type of evaluation question(s) to be asked using the needs hierarchy on page 35 of the Rossi et al. text. Describe which evaluation level you will focus on and your justification.
3. Describe your relevant stakeholders and how you plan on involving them in the evaluation.
4. Develop a draft logic model that summarizes how the program works. Use the example in the Newcomer et al. text on page 76 as an example.
5. Provide a narrative describing how the program operates.
Provide short and succinct answers in bullet format. Target Length: 5 Pages
Part 2
Your specific tasks:
1. Describe the characteristics of the problem or issue that your program addresses.
a. Its nature and consequences
b. The magnitude of the problem or issue
c. Describe methods for gathering information on your problem
i. Social indicators
ii. Social research
iii. Agency records
iv. Surveys/census
v. Key informant surveys
2. Clearly define the targets of the intervention
a. Direct and indirect targets
b. Target boundaries (who or what is included)
3. Describe the target population
a. Population at risk
b. Population in need
c. Population in demand
4. Describe the nature of service needs
a. Describe how information is gathered (interviews, focus groups, snowballing)
5. Program Theory. Please answer and elaborate on the following questions.
a. Describe the program goals and objectives. Are they well-defined?
b. Are the program goals and objectives feasible?
c. Is the change process presumed in the theory plausible?
d. Are the procedures for identifying members of the target population, delivering service to them, and sustaining that service through completion well defined and sufficient?
e. Are the constituent components, activities, and functions well-defined and sufficient?
f. Are the resources allocated to the program adequate?
6. Develop models that describe the program’s:
a. Impact theory (see Exhibit 3-E, Rossi et al. page 69)
b. Service Utilization Plan (See Exhibit 3-F Rossi et al. page 70)
c. Organizational Schematic (See Exhibit 3-G Rossi et al. page 71)
Provide short and succinct answers in bullet format. Target Length: 5 Pages
I am confident that this exercise will enhance your understanding of program evaluation, and I am praying for your success.