Evaluation generally follows a process that contains six steps: (See attachment)
Before these steps can be undertaken and evaluation planning can begin in earnest, there must be a catalyst to initiate the process. This could be a planned program evaluation built into the design of a program from the beginning. Or, it could an external desire to increase stakeholder ability to make informed decisions about the program. Last week, you received this catalyst in the form of a program evaluation consultation request from the executive director of the Life House social work agency.
Now that you have had an opportunity to review the stakeholders at the agency and formulate some initial questions about the scope of work, you will complete a two-part Assignment in which you 1) engage in a simulated meeting with the executive director and 2) based on this simulated conversation, write a reflection paper in which you begin to outline an evaluation plan for a program at Life House.
For the simulation part of this Assignment, you will meet with the executive director of the Life House agency and share your initial thoughts and questions. Per the voicemail from last week, the executive director has initiated contact with you to solicit your advice and leverage your experience with program evaluation, so your goal for this meeting is to inform the executive director of the process, clarify any remaining questions in your planning document, and make initial recommendations. Additionally, you will want to set the terms for your consultation and agreement.
To Prepare
Read Chapters 2 and 3 of the course text.
Review the Life House: Background for Evaluation document from the Learning Resources this week.
Click the play button on your interactive simulation video below to access your prerecorded simulation. After you click play, you will be introduced to the simulation and prompted to select the most appropriate response after each interaction. Follow the instructions as they appear onscreen. Be sure to review your Assignment submission instructions in advance and take notes as you go through the simulation experience.
Submit a 4 page reflection on your simulation experience. The paper must address the following:
Process
**Provide a brief overview of the six steps in the evaluation process.
**Why is it important to consider these steps for Life House and its programs?
Program
**What program would you select from the Life House: Program Evaluation Preliminary Plan document based on your conversation with the executive director? Provide a brief descriiption of the program you selected.
**Based on your knowledge of the Life House agency, including your recent conversation with the executive director, how would you describe the target population for your program?
Evaluation
**Based on your knowledge of the Life House agency and information from the readings, would you initially recommend a formative or summative evaluation approach? Explain your answer.
**Which of the following types of evaluation would you initially plan for your program? (Explain your selections using formative and summative evaluation.)
*Needs Assessment
*Process Evaluation
*Outcome Evaluation
*Efficiency Evaluation
