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Session Title: Building Evaluation Capacity in Youth Serving Organizations for Bullying Prevention
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Panel Session 375 to be held in International Ballroom D on Thursday, November 8, 1:55 PM to 3:25 PM
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Sponsored by the Evaluation Use TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Nancy Csuti,
The Colorado Trust,
nancy@coloradotrust.org
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| Discussant(s):
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| Nancy Csuti,
The Colorado Trust,
nancy@coloradotrust.org
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| Abstract:
The Colorado Trust has been supporting evaluation capacity building in youth-serving initiatives since 2000. The After-School Initiative (2000-2005) laid the groundwork for learning from evaluation, lessons that have been carried over into the current Bullying Prevention Initiative (BPI). Over 45 grantees working in 100 schools and non-profit organizations are infusing cultural competency and positive youth development into bullying prevention programming. Evaluation is a major component of the initiative. This session will feature the program officer who will present an overview of BPI, and a description of the role evaluation and evaluation capacity building has played in this initiative. The evaluator will describe the process of how technology as well as evaluation technical assistance has supported evaluation capacity building. Finally, a representative of the program technical assistance team will describe how the ongoing evaluation results inform their work as well as the work of the grantees. Insights into the sustainability of the grantee evaluation component once the funding ended will be discussed. Challenges and lesson learned will be shared.
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Incorporating Evaluation into Bullying Prevention Programming
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| Ed Lucero,
The Colorado Trust,
ed@coloradotrust.org
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This person was selected to be a panel member because of his experience as the initiative program officer as well as the individual who plays the lead role in ensuring learning through evaluation is a crucial component of the process. His professional background working with positive youth development and as strength-based focus, along with an openness to try new ideas and directions that evaluation uncovers, makes him an essential part of the panel. He will talk about the history of the initiative, why the foundation chose to fund in this area, how learning from past initiatives (specifically the After-School Initiative) served to inform this one, and the role of the mixed-methods evaluation in the ongoing Bullying Prevention Initiative process.
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Providing Customized Technical Assistance within a Foundation: Directed Evaluation Framework
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| Robin Leake,
JVA Consulting LLC,
robin@jvaconsulting.com
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This person leads the independent evaluation team that is implementing the statewide initiative's evaluation as well as the customized web-based systems for each grantee organization. Over 75 individual sites across Colorado participate in the initiative evaluation. Two surveys per school year are conducted, data made available on the web-based system immediately, and assistance provide to each grantee to assist in creating useful reports. The evaluation by necessity must be flexible enough to meet the grantees' individual needs, and at the same time meet the overarching needs of the funder. Within the constraints of the evaluation design created by the foundation, the independent evaluation team has created a system by which individual grantee needs can be met. The challenges and how they are being overcome will be highlighted in this presentation.
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Using Evaluation to Guide Program Related Technical Assistance: The Real World Intervenes
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| Jill Adams,
Colorado Foundation for Families and Children,
jilljadams@msn.com
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While using evaluation findings to frame technical assistance for grantees sounds like a solid and feasible use of evaluation, the realities presented in schools and communities can overshadow good intentions. This presenter represents a team of technical assistance providers who provide opportunities to schools and community based organizations across the state to improve their bullying prevention work. At the same time, schools are trying hard to relate all non-academic programs to improved academic performance. How to balance the school's need for academic outcomes with the long term needs of the youth being served is the challenge facing this presenter. She will discuss her experiences with the evaluation, what factors influence how well the evaluation is received by the grantees as well as factors that influence the ultimate use of evaluation findings. Challenges implementing "evidence-based" programs as well as how some evidence-based programs have been enhanced through the cultural competency technical assistance will be discussed.
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