Knowing how to work with evaluative data is essential to management of public-serving programs - to improve effectiveness, accountability, and even secure grants. This course enables students to develop a working understanding of and some key skills to conduct program evaluations and measure outcomes. Through readings, guided activities/tutorials/internet searches, and class discussions, students will learn the language and tools of the trade, including community assessment, needs assessment, process/formative evaluation, LEAN, outcome measurement, efficiency analysis, and impact evaluation. Students will learn how to identify program outcomes and set up logic models, essential skills for grant-seeking. We will discuss the political, social, and ethical considerations of conducting research in real-world settings. Cases and examples will be discussed and worked through including actual indigenous program evaluations. A highlight of the class is the opportunity for students to set up an actual comprehensive evaluation plan for an agency of their own choosing, obtain feedback, and refine the plan in preparation for actual implementation of their own evaluation.
REC: FNED 800.