• PROGRAM EVALUATION
  Maybe you have to conduct an evaluation as part of a grant that you received. Perhaps your board has been asking questions about outcomes, or maybe your staff is starting to wonder how effective a particular program is. Whether you are thinking about evaluation because of requirements or outside pressure, or you are just interested in learning more about how well your organization is doing, knowing the benefits of evaluation activities can help you get the most return out of every dollar you spend.

• DASHBOARDS
  Programs, schools, organizations, and agencies often have access to a fair amount of data. But it's hard to connect it across systems. Even when organizations have a lot of data stored in a database or spreadsheet, evaluators often need to combine data from multiple sources. Once combined, the reports are often straight tables, which are hard to interpret, or a series of static graphs and charts, each of which have to be made and updated individually, a time-consuming process. Results are often presented quarterly or yearly as a snapshot in time and in a non-interactive paper format. We work with our client to produce a dashboard that they can access with a web application. Dashboards help stakeholders answer questions "on the fly" in response to funder inquiries or community events, explain the benefits of their programs to others in short order and using multiple images, and communicate findings in a way that is instantly clear.
  

• FOCUS GROUPS
  We conduct focus groups nationally to helps with needs assessment, community assessments, program evaluation, and organizational research.  

  Focus groups are more in-depth than surveys, and allow a more detailed and intricate examination of a situation. Focus groups can provide a deeper understanding of the beliefs and values that underlie decisions, and uncover the meanings behind the choices people make.  Focus groups can be used to examine how people make decisions in order to learn more about customer and employee experiences, and even to help understand the results of a large-scale survey.
  

• ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
  We use scientific research methods to determine the impact of organization development interventions. This includes using focus groups, observations and questionnaires to evaluate changes that occur through training and leadership development, and developing performance measurement systems for organizations.
  
  One of the most important yet often overlooked elements of any organization development intervention is the evaluation of impact. Organization development efforts result in healthier and more resilient organizations, and an OD intervention that has been proven effective is going to be more desirable than one that just seems effective. 
  
  Evaluating your organization development interventions can also capture return on Investment for organizational interventions, especially in the corporate sector. Managers are asking about the payoff in all forms of organization development and training, from large scale interventions to even a simple, half-day training course.  When managers can document how an intervention impacts the bottom line they are able to make better decisions, and evaluation can help them do this.
  

• LOGIC MODELS
  We work with organizations to develop logic models for program planning, grant applications, evaluation, and strategic decision-making. 
  What does a logic model do? A logic model is a tool for specifying how and why a program is expected to have an impact. We all have certain theories about the impact that our programs have on the people in our community. We implement activities based on these theories. Implicit in the development of a logic model is a connection between our activities and the health and well-being of the people we work with. This implied connection is called causation. Laying out the chain of causation is one thing you can do with a logic model.
  A logic model clarifies exactly what a program will attempt to accomplish. It can help identify missing or poorly-defined program elements or flawed assumptions about the way a program ought to work to make a difference. A logic model helps clarify and improve a program's design. To develop a logic model, you will need to know what your goals, objectives, and activities are and how they are connected.  
  

• DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
  Depending on the organization's needs, we can help select surveys for data collection, implement the data collection, conduct interviews and/or focus groups, or help compile existing data within the organization. We have extensive experience with both quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including knowledge of the SPSS, Excel, and ATLAS.ti. software packages.  
  

• REPORTS
  At the conclusion of our evaluation work, we provide the organization with a succinct, well-written, easy to understand, and useful report.  This report will then help the organization recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their programs and will be useful in planning their next steps.
  

• TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND FACILITATION
  We train individuals at all levels of expertise in evaluation, program design, and outcome-based assessment. We conduct an Evaluation 101 seminar for grantees to assist them in developing evaluation plans that will improve their chances of securing funding. We also provide local government agencies with assistance in writing RFPs that include an evaluation component. We can help funders develop a system for evaluating grant applications to ensure that evaluation plans are well designed, and to give feedback to applicants on how to improve their evaluation designs.
  

• STRATEGIC PLANNING AND FACILITATION
  We provide strategic planning and facilitation services for large and small organizations that are looking for an essential tool to help them reach their goals. During the strategic planning process stakeholders agree on and commit to priorities that are essential to the vision of the organization. The process is strategic because it involves assessing the current environment and making choices about how to respond. The strategic planning process is focused and productive, raising a sequence of questions designed to help planners evaluate their past experiences, test old assumptions, and analyze new information. The process builds commitment among stakeholders by identifying priorities and engaging with conflict in a constructive way that supports improved communication and coordination. Through the strategic planning process, organizations make clear choices about competing options and how best to pursue the mission of the organization.

• GRANT WRITING ASSISTANCE
  A requirement of many grant proposals is that you include a description of your evaluation plan. As experienced evaluators, we can provide assistance in the writing of this section of a proposal to strengthen the evaluation language. We have worked with clients to better understand what their evaluation plan was and then provided an evaluation section for their proposal.

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Taj Carson