American Diabetes Association Program Discussion

We will assume that legal issues and large budgets are not factors in this case. As a result, you are assigned a very precise, clear, well-organized 2 page program evaluation with headings and subheadings as needed. You are asked to respond to the questions and prompts in this document using the portions of the Contents of an Evaluation Planas I specify below.

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You will be making suggestions for evaluating an actual program or reporting on an evaluation of a program with which you are familiar (not a fictional program, as we have used in the past) so it is important to select a program that you know about. The program does not have to be related to social work. Select a program in which you or someone you know has participated, a program you have led, or a program that you have already evaluated in detail.

You may choose any program with which you are familiar whether it involves social work or not. Such programs can include training programs at your workplace, programs at your field placement, programs at church, a school, an organization, your community, or other programs in with which you are familiar. For example, community programs, such as a popcorn sale by the Boy Scouts, a plan for the school winter holiday concert, or a fund-raiser to send youth to another part of the country to help on a project are examples of programs that are acceptable for this assignment. The important feature is that the program be real so you can evaluate it, but the type of program does not matter since the same principles will apply to all programs.

Your report must contain the following nine items in this order to obtain maximum points:

**Your name in the running head. No title page, please. There will be points deducted if a title page is used due to the amount of paper wasted by title pages when they are printed out.

1. Name of a programused in this report. This must be a real program with which you are familiar. It does not have to be a social work program. You can use a fictional name if you do not want the program to be identified for confidentiality or proprietary reasons.

2. State the purposeof the report as follows:

The purpose of this report is to assess outcomes related to [name the program] to determine how well the program achieved its goals and objectives. In particular, this paper is intended to evaluate [select ONEpurpose from the List of common purposes of an evaluation (adapted from the University of Wisconsin-Extension (2008) below.)

List of common purposes of an evaluation

• how well the program met its goals (usually scaled 1-5 or more for each goal)

what the participants learn(ed) or what skills they acquire(d) in the program

changes in knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, values, or skills that can be attributed to participation in the program (positive, negative or neutral)

short-term and long-term changes in participants or conditions as a result of the program, stated in behavioral terms or shifts in attitudes or opinions.

recipients’ opinions regarding the program activities (caution: “feelings are often poor indicators that your service made lasting impact”, McNamara, 2004)

external factors that aid or hinder program success (location, time, overlap with other programs, access to transportation, etc.)

any unintended negative or secondary effects of the program

what works (and what doesn’t) to fill the need for which the program was created

activities that are most successful and less-than-successful in achieving the program goals, and decide whether to improve or replace less-effective activities

whether to continue, modify, or terminate the program (Adapted from UW-Extension, 2008)

3. Describe the need that the program was designed to remedy.In one paragraph, provide a brief (2-3 sentence) summary of the events or conditions that led you or others to conclude that there was a need or a benefit for offering the program. (Refer to your statement of need in the logic model that you developed for an example.)

4. Describe the goals of the program.In a 1-2 sentence statement, identify the intended overall goals of the program (Select no more than three goals if there are multiple goals).

For example: “The goals of the Happy Valley Recreation Association are to organize age-appropriate outdoor activities throughout the year at Happy Valley Regional Park for ages 3- 99. Activities may include nature walks, canoeing, tennis, and snow-shoeing. “

5. Describe the program including the features listed below. Use a table or bullet points:

§the type of individuals for whom the program was created (1-2 sentences)

§planned functions or services for the program, with a brief explanation about whether those functions or services were implemented as planned (3-5 sentences)

§resources contributed by the sponsoring organization (if there is one) and resources that the organizers needed another organization to provide (if known) (1-2 sentences)

§the type of staff and the qualifications of staff who maintain the program, ensure that it functions according to plan (most of the time!), or provide the interventions (2-3 sentences)

§obstacles, problems, or insights that have emerged in implementing the program.

An example is below:

Program: Walden Leadership Program for Youth

Recipients:All 70 8thgrade boys and girls from Walden Middle School were invited; 14 girls and 8 boys attended.

Interventions and program functions:

a)a 90 minute after-school program offered two times per week for 8 weeks in fall semester at Walden Middle School to enhance math and science learning and to use video feedback to help students look and act professional.

b)snacks are provided

c)A student teacher from Walden University and two high school Eagle scouts assist with math and science demonstrations

d)The Eagle scouts tutor attendees with homework for 20 minutes after each session

e)A social worker provides motivational talks and encouragement to participants during the sessions.

Resources: Walden Leadership Program for Youth was held in the Walden Middle School cafeteria with snacks provided free of charge by Tasty Wonders Bakery. Student teachers were given a stipend of $50 per session. Eagle scouts were provided with bus tokens to get home after the program. Social workers were given time to attend sessions and provide the motivational speeches.

Staff:Walden College of Education provided the student teachers; Walden High recruited three Eagle Scouts to assist demonstrations and tutors; the social worker is an employee of Walden Middle School.

Challenges: The demonstration equipment was accidentally locked away by the janitor for one week. We found that it was difficult to get the attendees to focus on the activity if snacks were provided first or they had a test the next day. We arranged transportation home for the students on the bus with the sports team that practiced after school, but when they had an away game, the transportation was not available, so we were forced to cancel several sessions.

6. Complete the table (below) for your data collection plan.

6-1.In column 1, list four key questionsthat may have been included in an evaluation of the program (if an evaluation occurred) or four key questions that you think would be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of the program. Enter them into the table below. The following questions are found in Building Capacity in Evaluating Outcomes (University of Wisconsin-Extension, Program Development and Evaluation, 2008. Enter the question into the template below (column 1).

• What do people do differently as a result of the program?
• What do people learn, gain, accomplish?
• What changes occur [and for whom] as a result of the program?
• [Do different changes occur for people with differences in] gender, socio-economic status, lifestyle, religion, education, ethnicity, previous experience, situation, etc.?
• Who benefits [from the program] and how?
• What are the [emotional, physical], social, economic, [and] environmental impacts [of the program] (positive and negative) on people, communities, the environment?
• What is the extent of the impact?
• To what extent have we reached our goals [or] performance targets?
• What program factor[s] or activities relate to better outcomes? (That is, which program activities seem to help participants the most? The least?)
• Are participants satisfied with what they gained from the program?
• How do the outcomes of this program compare to other, similar programs?
• Is the program efficient? (That is, does it produce beneficial results without excessive outlay of time, effort, and resources?)
• Are the results worth the money and time invested into it?
• How well does/did the program respond to the [statement of] need and program purpose?

6.2 In column 2, identify informantswho would be able to provide accurate, reliable, and useful information about the program by their role (school principal, hospice social worker, etc.).

6.3In column 3, list the data collection methodfor each informant that was used in an actual evaluation or which you would use if the program has not had a formal evaluation.

You may list data collection methods that have been used to evaluate the outcomes, effects, or impacts of your program if it has been evaluated. Otherwise, suggest data collection methods from the table in Basic Guide to Program Evaluation (Including Outcomes Evaluation) linked here: https://managementhelp.org/evaluation/program-evaluation-guide.htm#anchor1585345. Provide ONE advantage and ONE disadvantage of each data collection method in the table below.

Questions for outcome evaluation	Whom to ask (informants)	Data Collection method with one advantage and disadvantage
1.
2.
3.
4.

7. Provide findings from the evaluation questionsif an evaluation has already occurred (if you are aware of the results) or provide some anticipated results from the evaluation questions if the program has not yet been evaluated or if you do not know the findings of an evaluation that has occurred. (1-2 accurate, brief, and clear paragraphs)

8.Based on your answer to Question 7, provide a recommendationfor implementing, expanding, modifying, or discontinuing the program in the future. If you think that the program should be expanded, include the services or population which you think should be added. If you think that the program should be changed or disbanded, provide a reason. (1 paragraph; 2-3 sentences)

9. Include your reference list in APA format. Please consult the APA guidelines in Week 3 of the discussion or the Writing Center tutorials on their webpage to follow the formats for the 7thedition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.Errors cost points!

Other formatting guidelines

Do not exceed two pages for this report. You may use 1.5 line spacing. If your references spill over to a third page, there will be no deductions, but the content of your report cannot exceed two pages. Answers should be highly informative, clear, and concise with no “fluff”.

Use a bold frontat the beginning of each questionto identify the question being addressed (Program Goal, Need for Programs, Program Description, etc.) so it is clear which question you are answering.

I am recommending this format because it aids stakeholders who want to help your agency make a difference. You will respect their time by filing a brief report that adheres to instructions. Consider what they want and need to know to help them decide about the future of your program. Do not pad the report with speculations; provide just the truth, the whole truth (no cutting corners), and nothing but the truth (no exaggeration or “spin”) in a brief, transparent, and professional report.