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Evaluations Done Right: Paving the Way for Closing a Program
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| Presenter(s):
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| Lorna Escoffery, Escoffery Consulting Collaborative Inc, lorna@escofferyconsulting.com
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| Abstract:
Closing down a program is not an easy decision for foundation staff and board members. However, when board members are committed to quality and are accountable to their community, they must engage in an honest discussion of the effectiveness of programs. This proposal presents the process by which an evaluation team collaborated with the Alpha 1 Foundation, as well as partner institutions, to evaluate four programs and offer recommendations for funding and policy decisions. The stakeholders deemed the process to be successful and it was used as the basis for board decisions such as closing the DNA and Tissue Bank, continuing funding to the other programs, and increasing the visibility of the foundation to promote research. Key elements for this success were the stakeholders’ commitment to quality and accountability; the positive dialogue established by the evaluation team; building staff capacity through training and mentoring; and fostering board involvement though systematic feedback.
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