Week 6: Program Evaluation: What, Why, and How

Most agencies prepare an annual report that includes the number of services or units of service provided, the number of individuals served, and information about demographics of the population served. This is generally accompanied by a budget summary, which includes sources and amounts of income and categories of expenses. In the past, that might have been adequate information to satisfy the public and funders, but today, stakeholders are demanding greater accountability for measurable results.

Program evaluations can provide insights into questions that such reports leave unanswered. As a social worker, you may be asked to play a role in a program evaluation. You should understand the nature and purpose of program evaluations and how they contribute to better social work practice. Then, you can reap the full benefit of such evaluations and adequately address the concerns of stakeholders.

This week, you analyze the benefits of two types of program evaluations, process, and outcome evaluations. You also analyze stakeholder concerns about evaluation. Finally, you recommend a program evaluation model and plan a program evaluation.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze program evaluation models
• Analyze stakeholder concerns about program evaluation
• Create a program evaluation plan

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Dudley, J. R. (2020). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do (3rd ed.) Oxford University Press.

• Chapter 1, “Evaluation and Social Work: Making the Connection” (pp. 3–26)
• Chapter 4, “Common Types of Evaluations” (pp. 78-95)
• Chapter 5, “Focusing an Evaluation” (pp. 96-110)

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)

Copyright 2010 by Sage Publications, Inc.
Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Inc. via the Copyright Clearance Center.

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

• Chapter 4, “Overview of the Evaluation Process That Reflects Evaluation Thinking”
• Chapter 5, “Preparing for the Evaluation”
• Chapter 6, “Determine Stakeholders and Engage Them in Evaluation”
• Chapter 7, “Developing a Logic Model, Evaluation Questions, “Measurement Framework, and Evaluation Plan”
• Chapter 8, “Data Collection and Analysis”
• Chapter 9, “Summarize, Communicate and Reflection on Evaluation Findings”

Assignment: Developing a Program Evaluation

To ensure the success of a program evaluation, a social worker must generate a specific detailed plan. That plan should describe the goal of the evaluation, the information needed, and the methods and analysis to be used. In addition, the plan should identify and address the concerns of stakeholders. A social worker should present information about the plan in a manner that the stakeholders can understand. This will help the social worker receive the support necessary for a successful evaluation.

To prepare for this Assignment, identify a program evaluation you would like to conduct for a program with which you are familiar. Consider the details of the evaluation, including the purpose, specific questions to address, and type of information to collect. Then, consider the stakeholders that would be involved in approving that evaluation. Review the resources for samples of program evaluations.

The program we will utilize for this Assignment is the Client Transportation Program at an agency whose clients have mental health conditions and substance use disorder.  The agency picks up client in the morning around 7:30am to bring them to the agency for Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) group and counseling services.  Transportation then returns the clients to the sober living houses after group.  Client are required to visit with their counselors and therapists after IOP group on a regularly scheduled basis.  Client’s who remain in the building for services are often not sure how and when they will return to their sober living houses because transportation is out returning the other clients.  Evaluating and improving this process would benefit the client as they would have a scheduled transportation appointment and reduce the stress on the clients and agency staff as client’s currently feel rushed to complete their counseling sessions to not miss their transportation.

Submit the following:

• A 1-page stakeholder analysis that identifies the stakeholders, their role in the agency and any concerns that they might have about the proposed program evaluation
• A 2-page draft of the program evaluation plan to submit to the stakeholders that:
  • Identifies the purpose of the evaluation
  • Describes the questions that will be addressed and the type of information that will be collected
  • Addresses the concerns of the stakeholders that you identified in your Stakeholder Analysis

This paper must contain at least 3 references from the about list “Required Readings” materials

Question

1. Database normalization is a very important process in designing and organizing tables (relations) and their columns (attributes or fields) in a relational database. Therefore, what are the consequences (problems) if a database was designed without it? Would the database still work?

Find an instance in your community where community organizers were involved in helping to enact change. Explain the principles of community organization that were used in the example you found. What role do social workers play in using those principles to address the needs of the community?

Hello,

I have chosen the Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana, they are currently working to get the homeless population vaccinated which can be a tricky since the homeless does not trust many people and do not like to be bothered. The Homeless Coalition of Sothern Indiana seeks to build a community of collaboration. Through education, advocacy, and awareness, we want each member of the community to know they have a role to play. They work with local government, organizations, businesses, and other volunteers to coordinate services to those homeless and at-risk. Our power is in the strength of our relationships. Through collaboration and partnership with our community, we minimize the time an individual spends homeless. Their coalition also sponsors the White Flag Emergency Shelter for men, women, and families during inclement weather. All communities’ members in need of a warm place to sleep are welcome (Homeless Coalition, 2021).

Members of the Vigo County Health Department are strategizing new ways to vaccinate underserved populations. This includes nearly 600 homeless people living in the area. However, this does not come without challenges. There is one big way the Vigo County Health Department will help with this effort. The department recently received a grant worth $221,000 from the Indiana State Department of Health. They say this grant will help vaccinate populations that are underserved, including the homeless. The department is planning on using the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. They say this is because a one-shot vaccine will be less of an inconvenience to the already hesitant homeless population (Follman, 2021). Members of the Coalition will help the health department administer those vaccine. The member s of the coalition team is made of social workers, case workers, health department members, and several other prominent members of the community also volunteers that help out as well.

Follman, H., (2021). Vaccinating the homeless in Vigo County. WTHI-TV10 news retrieved https://www.wthitv.com/content/news/Vaccinating-the-Homeless-574745481.html

Homeless Coalitaion, (2021) A colation to the end homlessness in Southern Indaian. Homeless Coalition retrieved https://www.soinhomeless.org/

Brittany

Breanna Williams 

1 posts

Re: Topic 4 DQ 2

When COVID-19 started, and many individuals found themselves without a job the local school and churches in my community began to collect non-perishable foods and household items to help alleviate the lack of income on some families with children and the elderly. Staff members from the school would deliver the food to these families and leave them on their front steps to keep everyone safe.

Community organizations are an essential part of social work and according to Farley et al., (2011) it is one of the three major methods of social work. One principle of a community organization that this example shows is a community organization for social welfare. Many people faced a lack of income during the pandemic and were faced with not being able to provide the basic necessities for living. This organization of the community helped alleviate some of the stress to local families by providing these necessities. Another principle that can be found in this example is that the client is primarily the community and is to be accepted however and wherever it is (Farley et al., 2011). This organization provided meals and household items to any family that was in need regardless of their situation or how rural of an area they lived in.

Social workers utilize many of these principles when addressing problems with individuals or communities. Many social workers advocate for the individual so that they are able to receive the resources that are needed. They are not prejudiced against an individual based on their situation or where they may live. Farley et al. (2011), explains that there are laws that are formulated that individuate what behavior is acceptable and which is not and are based on the community values and norms that are deemed to be most important. Community organizers and social workers both must follow the laws and regulations that are put in place to better serve their communities.

Reference

Farley, O. W., Smith, L. L., & Boyle, S. W. (2011). Introduction to social work (12^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. ISBN-13: 9780205001972