| Session Title: Context Sensitivity in a Multi-site Process Evaluation |
| Demonstration Session 203 to be held in Panzacola Section F2 on Thursday, Nov 12, 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM |
| Sponsored by the Human Services Evaluation TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Anne Cullen, Western Michigan University, anne.cullen@wmich.edu |
| Laura Seman, Share Our Strength, lseman@strength.org |
| Lynne Kunins, Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth (FLIPANY), lkunins@flipany.org |
| Daniela C Schroeter, Western Michigan University, daniela.schroeter@wmich.edu |
| Chris L S Coryn, Western Michigan University, chris.coryn@wmich.edu |
| Elizabeth Seeley, Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth (FLIPANY), eseeley@flipany.org |
| Abstract: This session demonstrates how local contexts can and should be taken into consideration in evaluation. The demonstration will be based on the case of a national nutrition education program which commissioned a multi-site process evaluation emphasizing implementation fidelity in its 20 partner sites with the goal of developing a monitoring system for the national program. The national office was specifically interested in learning how faithful its current partners were in implementing the program before expanding the program into new geographic areas. The evaluation involved intensive site visits to select locations and a questionnaire to partner sites. Findings, not surprisingly, suggested that fidelity is influenced by a variety of contextual factors, including time and recourse constraints, available expertise, and differences in interpreting program guidelines. This demonstration will illustrate different perspectives on the evaluation by facilitating discussion among representatives of the national office, a local partner site, and the external evaluation team. |