Assess
As I began Next Step, my first contract was with the Chrysalis Foundation to evaluate their after-school program for girls. To be honest, I was a little nervous; I’m pretty sure none of my previous employers would have listed evaluation as my strong suit!
But as I’ve developed the tools and generated the reports over the last three years, I’ve come to really enjoy the whole evaluation process. It’s really neat when the results reinforce the program’s expectations and the theoretical base you’ve built your career on!
I even love the questions that come up as a RESULT of the assessment! They point the way toward new evaluations, ideas for program improvement and goals to strive for. Here are some of the things you can expect from a Next Step assessment process–
- I’ll help you develop a clear idea of what you want to know
- We’ll use these ideas, current research and best practice to design assessment tools
- Then I’ll gather and analyze the information
- I usually prepare a variety of reports for your different people
- I use the results to help you tell stories of success
- And consult with you on how the assessment can help you improve
Here are some of the organizations I’ve worked with on evaluation:
- Chrysalis Foundation for Women & Girls; 2008 CAS Evaluation
- Mid-Iowa Health Foundation
- Polk County Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition
- Polk County Conservation; Links to Surveys & Results
–Martha McCormick, Next Step, Inc.
