Im studying and need help with a Social Science question to help me learn.
Discussion: Use of Research Methods in Program Evaluation
Planned program outcomes (that is the goals, objectives, or intended impacts of a program) should specify what the program intends to accomplish in clear, measurable terms so the success of the program in achieving its goals can be determined.
Evaluations require collecting data and interpreting it so the program officials can determine what the strengths and weaknesses of the program are, how well it is meeting its goals, make plans for improvements, and determine whether it is a cost-effective approach to mitigating or addressing a community need. Interpretation of the results for stakeholders is a key component of the evaluation process.
Program objectives should be:
(1) actionable focused on what the program staff and participants can do
(2) relevant, realistic, and attainable
(3) measurable or observable,
(4) under the control of the program staff or participants they should not depend on the actions of others,
(5) timely and meaningful, and
(6) directed toward continuous improvement.
How do we evaluate these outcomes? How do we evaluate all the effects (outcomes) of a program (positive, negative, or neutral) so we can understand its impact for the recipients and the community?
Our objective this week is to explore research methods for evaluating program outcomes, focusing specifically on group programs, which are common in social work.
Just as with other types of programs, social workers must know how to select the appropriate research methods for evaluating program outcomes.
For this discussion, you will select research methods consisting of indicators of change, appropriate questions, and data collection methods that are appropriate for evaluating a foster parent training program described in the case study assigned for this week.
To prepare for this discussion, review the assigned case study entitled Social Work Research: Planning a Program Evaluation” in Social Work Case Studies: Concentration Year (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014).
In the assigned case study, Joan, a social worker and PhD student, plans to evaluate a new curriculum for foster parent training for a large agency with seven regional centers that train new foster parents.
According to Plummer, Makris, and Brocksen (2014), “[t]he primary goals of this new training program include reducing foster placement disruptions, improving the quality of services delivered, and increasing child well-being through better trained and skilled foster families”.
Joan intends to compare the new method of foster parent training with the current training method used by the agency to determine if the new curriculum is superior to the previous one. She plans to use the new curriculum in three of the regional centers and the current method in the agencys other four regional centers and compare the effectiveness of each approach.
To ensure that the curriculum is the only difference between the new and current training methods, she assigns the same trainers to every regional center so that all the parents are taught by the same trainers. Both training methods will require the same number of hours of training consisting of a series of six three-hour sessions.
She will ensure that the type of people being trained as foster parents at each center are essentially the same (I hope otherwise she cant do this comparison!).
By using the same type of participants, personnel, and training schedule at each site, Joan can ensure that the only difference between sites is the curriculum. This arrangement is ideal for Joan to compare the impact from each of the two programs.
___________________________________________________________
Joan comes to you and ask you to help her choose the best research methods for evaluating the outcomes of the two types of foster parent education class.
Choosing research methods to evaluate program outcomes depends on many factors, including these, to name a few:
Once you know what is feasible in terms of resources, time, funding and what you or your stakeholders need to know, you begin to consider questions you would like to ask stakeholders, including program staff, program participants, and any others whom you think may have insight into the effectiveness of the program.
Taylor-Powell, Steele, and Douglah, (2008) note that
[e]valuations [that are] focused on measuring outcomes include questions that ask about changes and levels of performance for individuals, families, groups, organization, and communities. These changes may be related to knowledge, attitudes, skills, motivations, plans, decisions making, behaviors, practices, policies, and social, economics, civic, and environmental conditions.
An excellent list of questions for use in a program evaluation is found in Building Capacity in Evaluating Outcomes (University of Wisconsin-Extension, Program Development and Evaluation, (Taylor-Powell, Steele, and Douglah, 2008) https://www.wcasa.org/file_open.php?id=921. This booklet provides extensive guidance about the type of questions to ask in an outcome evaluation and the methods for gathering information about program outcomes.
In addition to the questions contained in the links, the following list provides outcome-focused questions. No single evaluation would try to answer all these questions. They are provided to spark conversation and exploration. [ ] in your discussion posts.
Sample evaluation questions about outcomes/impacts
After you know what information you would like to obtain for your evaluation, you must choose appropriate data collection tools. How will you get valid and useful answers to the questions about the issues that you want to learn about?
All data collection methods have advantages and disadvantages. Some considerations for choosing your data collection techniques are listed below:
________________________________________________________
To prepare for this discussion, review the assigned case study entitled Social Work Research: Planning a Program Evaluation” in Social Work Case Studies: Concentration Year (Plummer, Makris, & Brocksen, 2014).
Inform Joan (and us) how she might conduct her program evaluation. Envision yourself as a consultant whom Joan contacts for assistance in planning her evaluation. She is not sure how to proceed because there are many elements of an evaluation from which she may choose, and she does not know the best methods for gathering YOUR
Your task: use the tables
Table 1
Indicators of program effects: Select TWO:
|
Whom would you ask? |
How is this indicator relevant to an outcome evaluation? |
Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builders Resource Library https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocs/measuring_outcomes.pdf may be useful in exploring the questions listed below in detail. Do not copy your questions from these lists. Notice how this publication describes the performance indicators of the outcomes. (List of four unique questions that apply to the foster parent training program will be placed in Table 2 below).
Table 2.
Indicator from Table 1 |
Questions to ask to learn about the change in the indicator as a result of group participation |
Data Collection Method, with advantages and disadvantages |
Indicator #1: |
||
Indicator #2: |
||
Answer this question by completing these sentences (5a, 5 b)
5a. My data collection methods for Indicator 1 [name] ________, include _____ [specify your selected methods____] . (Enter these from Table 2).
According to Dudley (2014), when applied to a program evaluation such as the one described in the case study they [are useful/have limited usefulness] [are valid/have limited validity] [are reliable/have limited reliability] [are feasible/have limited feasibility] [are cost-effective/are costly] in this situation because __________.
5b. My data collection methods for Indicator 2 [name] ________, include _____ [specify your selected methods____] . (Enter these from Table 2).
According to Dudley (2014), when applied to a program evaluation such as the one described in the case study they [are useful/have limited usefulness] [are valid/have limited validity] [are reliable/have limited reliability] [are feasible/have limited feasibility] [are cost-effective/are costly] in this situation because __________.
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