| Session Title: Evaluating Nationally and Locally: What Can Evaluators do to Create Evaluation Policies in National Nonprofit Networks Composed of Autonomous Local Organizations? |
| Think Tank Session 841 to be held in the Agate Room Section C on Saturday, Nov 8, 9:50 AM to 10:35 AM |
| Sponsored by the Non-profit and Foundations Evaluation TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Stephen Axelrad, Hillel Foundation, saxelrad@hillel.org |
| Abstract: Many non-profit organizations are structured as decentralized networks. There is an national agency which serves as a leader and/or service provider to several autonomous local agencies. Sometimes, the local agencies are set up as local offices or divisions that have official reporting lines to the national agency. Other times, the local agencies are independent franchises that receive funding and service support from but do not officially report to the national agency. The national agency typically is focused on meeting larger, more abstract goals of the entire network and the local agency typically is focused on serving specific populations in a region, municipality or other local community. What frequently results is a national vs. local tension that affects what professionals assume are 'best' practices. The purpose of this think tank is to discuss how to form evaluation policies that answers the different 'what works' questions that national and local professionals have. |