Minnesota Evaluation Association

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Evaluation 101 PowerPoint

Below is a link to a PowerPoint that is titled ‘Program Evaluation Essentials’ or that could also be titled ‘Evaluation 101’. The goal of the presentation is to provide you with an overview of program evaluation and how organizations or programs might benefit from the use of evaluation. This PowerPoint was conceived of and funded by the Minnesota Evaluation Association as a tool for its members and others in the community. We hope you find the PowerPoint useful.

If you use the PowerPoint as part of a class or presentation we ask that you acknowledge it with this phrase, “ This presentation was developed for the Minnesota Evaluation Association in June, 2009. All rights reserved. Presentation prepared by (in alphabetical order) Edita Bucinca, Ann Mavis, Laura Pejsa, Cindy Reich, Denise Roseland, and Robert Tornberg under the direction of Dr. Jean A. King, University of Minnesota. “

If you would like to have an evaluation professional attend your class or meeting and present this PowerPoint and the accompanying discussion material, please contact us at info@mneval.org.

We suggest that if you use the PowerPoint for a class or meeting (with or without our presenter) that you make a donation to the MN EA to offset the cost of its development. Donations can be made through our donation page (Donate to MN EA) on this website.

Link to MNEA_Presentation_RevisedFinal June22.ppt

List of MN EA members who provide evaluation services

The following link will take you to a directory of MN EA members who provide evaluation services: Member Directory

Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute (MESI) at the University of Minnesota. The following link will take you to information on MESI's Spring Training Conference, Summer Institute, and other Training and Evaluation opportunities for students and organizations - http://evaluation.umn.edu/

Pro Bono Assistance from the Improve Group

The Improve Group consultants are experts in research, evaluation, strategic planning and professional development. Our mission is to work with organizations to make the most of information, navigate complexity and ensure their investments of time and money lead to meaningful, sustained impact. We work across the United States and internationally.

We are taking nominations of nonprofits that make a difference in the target areas noted below and who could increase their impact with additional support. If you or an organization you know would like assistance, please consider applying. New in 2012, we are opening up our pro bono application on a rolling basis with applications accepted throughout the year. The organization and project request must be in one of the following target areas:
Arts or arts education
Criminal justice, corrections, offender support
Community and economic development
Emerging technologies for nonprofit service delivery
Public health, health disparities, obesity, reproductive health
Social justice, women’s rights, GLBT, domestic/community violence, underserved/anti-discrimination
Youth development, education, early childhood, college or workforce readiness

If selected, organizations will:
Assign a project liaison who will share information and help to coordinate activities and evaluate the project at its conclusion
Participate in the project by sharing information and attending meetings
Serve as a reference for the Improve Group and supply testimonial or letter of recommendation
Approve content that can be shared publicly about the project
Complete an Improve Group evaluation form at project’s completion

To be selected, organizations must:meet organizational criteria: 501 c (3) or international NGO; have a clear, contained scope and well-defined need; and are supported by organizational resources, such as staff time. It is desired that organizations offer an opportunity to try new methods or experiment with design options; enhance capacity of applicant for long-term; and are based outside of Minnesota or are serving the Minneapolis Promise Neighborhood.

Application link and additional information on previous pro bono recipients can be found on our website: http://www.theimprovegroup.com/pages/aboutus_givingback.html, or by emailing info@theimprovegroup.com. Projects will last no more than 3 months and must be completed by December 2012. To learn more about the Improve Group please go to: www.theimprovegroup.com. We hope you will consider applying and also pass along this exciting, collaborative opportunity.

Resources from MNEA Events

Data Visualization Event on March 23, 2013:

To access Megan Power's Prezi presentation on Infographics, please go to: http://prezi.com/zc54afmbbmot/infographics/?goback=%2Egmp_3994194%2Egde_3994194_member_225518805

Other Resources

Websites of MN Evaluation member organizations and professionals:

http://www.theimprovegroup.com
www.qedeval.com
www.pdastats.com
www.dmdprojects.com
www.perspectives-family.org
http://www.gegaxevaluation.com
www.smm.org
www.sppsfoundation.org

For information on President Obama's development policy and the role of evaluation, click HERE.

Information about the annual Minnesota Evaluation Studies Institute (MESI) designed for professional evaluators, program directors in non-profit and for-profit organizations, and others interested in conducting or using evaluations:
http://cehd.umn.edu/EdPA/Evaluation/faculty.html

Information about the University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development Ph.D, MA, and Certificate programs in Evaluation Studies:

http://cehd.umn.edu/EdPA/Evaluation/faculty.html

The powerpoint on mapping social networks, is available here.

The William Shadish lecture on single-subject design is available on-line from the University of Minnesota.

http://cehd.umn.edu/MITER/events/2008-02-22.html

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s core measures: Compendium of instruments to assess risk and protective factors; measures are proven, tested, and user-friendly

http://education.umn.edu/CAREI/Reports/SIG/docs/MeasuresWeb.rtf

CYFERnet'sIncludes practical tools to evaluate community-based programs, information on how community programs can be sustained, and assessments of organizational support for work in the areas of children, youth, and families Evaluation section:

http://cyfernet.ces.ncsu.edu/cyfdb/browse_2.php?search=Evaluation

ETSThe Test Collection at ETS is a library of more than 25,000 tests and other measurement devices that makes information on standardized tests and research instruments available to researchers, graduate students, and teachers. Collected from the early 1900s to the present, the Test Collection at ETS is the largest such compilation in the world. Test Link:

www.*ets*.org/*test*coll/.

Florida Prevention Research Center: A curriculum for training youth to be researchers titled Youth Research Training Manual developed by the Florida Prevention Research Center at the University of South Florida.

http://health.usf.edu/nr/rdonlyres/544bc0a8-8995-43c7-8277-1a0e0a5cfe6e/0/youthfocusgrouptraining.pdf

Innovation Center for Community & Youth Development: A facilitator’s handbook titled Building community: A tool kit for youth and adults in charting assets and creating change available for purchase from the Innovation Center for Community & Youth Development

http://www.theinnovationcenter.org

InstituteTwo curricula available for purchase:
- Empowering voices: A participatory action research curriculum for girls
- Participatory action research curriculum for empowering youth for Community Research:

http://www.incommunityresearch.org/publications/puborderrev6.pdf

ProjectAsset-Based Evaluation Tool Kit developed by an initiative in California to support organizations using the Developmental Assets approach of building the strengths of children and youth. Cornerstone’s Evaluation Tool Kit:

http://www.projectcornerstone.org/html/organizations/evaluation_toolkit.htm

Public/Private Ventures: P/P V offers a free download on evaluating mentoring programs, Measuring the quality of mentor-youth relationships: A tool for mentoring programs. This is a very helpful resource for demonstrating mentoring outcomes; available at:

www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/130_publication.pdf

State of Connecticut Distributes a manual that was developed with funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice: Assessing outcomes in child and youth programs: A practical handbook, revised edition (focus on assessing positive youth development outcomes):

http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/cjppd/cjjjyd/jjydpublications/childyouthoutcomehandbook2005.pdf

The Character Education Partnership Assessment Index: A searchable database of assessment instruments that measure positive youth development variables including prosocial behavior, academic attitudes and social skills

http://www.character.org/site/c.gwKUJhNYJrF/b.993291/k.A810/Assessment_Index.htm

The Collaborative Fund for Youth-Led Social Change: CFYS has two publications about youth-led social change: The power & possibilities: Youth-led social change and The new girls’ movement: New assessment tools for youth programs.

http://www.ms.foundation.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=56

The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University: The Evaluation Center at WMU offers an array of online tools and resources.

http://www.wmich.edu/evalctr/

The Evaluators' Institute at George Washington University: Provides an umbrella under which TEI can thrive and contribute to evaluation practice. This means TEI’s Certificates for Professional Evaluators will be backed by the University and will carry GW’s name, along with TEI’s.

www.EvaluatorsInstitute.com

The John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities: A free publication called Youth Engaged in Leadership and Learning (Y.E.L.L.): A Handbook for Supporting Community Youth Researchers has just been released in the second edition. It is available at their website:

www.gardnercenter.stanford.edu/

Youth in Focus: Offers two resources: (1) a link to What Kids Can Do--Youth IMPACT: Youth-Led Evaluation, and (2) Youth REP step by step: An introduction to youth-led research and evaluation available for purchase.

http://www.youthinfocus.net/resources_publications_2.htm

2012 The Minnesota Evaluation Association