| In a 90 minute Roundtable session, the first
rotation uses the first 45 minutes and the second rotation uses the last 45 minutes.
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| Roundtable Rotation I:
Measuring Success: Applying Short-Term Indicators to Measure Long-Term Success in Human Capital Investment Programs |
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Roundtable Presentation 708 to be held in MISSION A on Saturday, Nov 13, 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
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Sponsored by the Human Services Evaluation TIG
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| Presenter(s):
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| Margaret McKenna, ConTEXT, mmckenna3@earthlink.net
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| Abstract:
Various programs that invest in human capital such as employment and education services for homeless individuals, typically refer to goals of “breaking the poverty cycle” and moving families to economic independence. These desirable goals are measured in assessing participants’ income increases or financial assets that occur in the long term, yet funders require short-term evaluations. The roundtable discussion raises several questions of how to measure program success at the individual and family level. What are indicators of program success at the local neighborhood or community level that are linked to the ultimate goal that new workers enter the labor market? The results from the evaluations of two programs will be highlighted – a career coaching model and a refugee farming economic independence project. Participants will be asked to share their challenges and accomplishments in assessing short and long-term changes at multiple levels in human capital investment programs.
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| Roundtable Rotation II:
How to Maintain Evaluation Quality in a Changing Environment: The Importance of Mixed Methods |
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Roundtable Presentation 708 to be held in MISSION A on Saturday, Nov 13, 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
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Sponsored by the Human Services Evaluation TIG
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| Presenter(s):
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| Michael Smith, Louisiana Public Health Institute, msmith@lphi.org
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| Lisanne Brown, Louisiana Public Health Institute, lbrown@lphi.org
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| Elmore Rigamer, Catholic Charities of New Orleans, erigamer@archdiocese-no.org
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| Abstract:
Ciara Community Services (CCS) in New Orleans offers a continuum of housing and support services to the chronic mentally ill who are homeless or at risk for homelessness. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (CCANO) has been operating Ciara House, the oldest of the CCS facilities, for twenty-five years, but the program has never been formally evaluated. A 12 month longitudinal mixed methods study of Ciara House residents with data collection planned every 3 months was designed. However 3 months into the study, the funding for the program was cut and the program could only keep residents for 90 days instead of a year. Attempts were made to follow individuals once they left the program, but many were lost to follow-up. Qualitative case studies of longer term residents before they were forced to leave has proven to be an important source of data to understand the effectiveness of the program.
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