Calling all Extension Professionals!

As an Extension professional engaged in work to support America’s youth, you are in a wonderful position to share your expertise and knowledge with other professionals throughout the country who share your interest in promoting positive youth development principles across all sectors that impact youth (e.g. schools, faith institutions, government, and youth programs). Through the Building Partnerships for Youth project—a collaborative effort between the University and National 4-H Council, we’re working to build networks and resources for those interested in expanding their efforts to better ensure that young people have the supports and opportunities they need to make healthy choices and become fully engaged in their communities.

Please join our online database of Extension Professionals, so that you may have opportunities to share your experience and expertise with others, and also have an opportunity to further network with your colleagues throughout the country who are also interested in promoting positive youth development principles. To learn more about the Building Partnerships for Youth project, and to join the database, please visit this link: http://bpy.arizona.edu/dbform

Thank you,

Amanda Abens, MC



Conducting A Process Evaluation

This week's Spotlight on Evaluation focuses on
conducting a process evaluation. To learn more about conducting a process evaluation click here!

CYFAR Programs Improving Through Evaluation website has created a new Spotlight on Evaluation feature! To learn more about our new Spotlight on Evaluation feature click here!

Informative Background Information on conducting a Process Evaluation

What is Process Evaluation?

Process evaluations inspect how a program is working and whether or not a program is adequately serving the program's target population. A process evaluation studies the execution of a program or project and determines whether or not the program or project is meeting its original goals. Process evaluations can be conducted in the early developmental stages of a program or on a continual basis throughout a program or project. Below five simple steps to conducting a process evaluation have been provided, read on to
learn more!

Five simple steps to Process Evaluation?

(1) Form an evaluation team: Be sure to include stakeholders. Also address the issue of whether or not an outside evaluator will need to be hired. Once the evaluation team has been establish they should begin determining what questions need to be answered, what information will be required, and how will the information obtained from the process evaluation be used.

(2) Consult the logic model: A logic model describes the process a program originally intended to implement. Consulting a logic model will aid in determining what aspects of a program or project need to be addressed within a process evaluation.

(3) Establish the evaluation audience: Establishing the evaluation audience will help to determine the way in which a process evaluation needs to be conducted.

(4) Choose a method: Decide what evaluation methods need to be used. For example are focus groups (qualitative method of conducting interviews with a small group of individuals) necessary. Should structured or semi-structured interviews (qualitative answers from interviewing individuals directly affected by the services the program delivers) be used? Will a simple survey obtain the information needed or will a review of records (contracts, policies, files, and written agreements) have to be conducted? Choosing an evaluation method is
a crucial step in a process evaluation and should be treated with a
high level of importance.

(5) Organize and examine the data: Collect and analyze the data, from a report then present the findings.

To further clarify the formative evaluation as well as the process, outcome, and impact evaluations a table listing a basic definition of each has been provided below.

Evaluation Type	Definition and Uses
Formative	Works to improve programs Evaluates programs during their development in order to try and make improvements
Process	Focuses on how the program is being delivered Works to answer the question, is this program being delivered as intended?
Outcome	Focuses on the question what are the results? Both short and long term results
Impact	Answers the question, how would clients have been impacted if this program was not made available? Used heavily in the field of policy making

*Note The Spotlight on Evaluation feature and the Process Evaluation feature can be reached using the "Spotlight On Evaluation" Tab located at the top of this page.


Note: This site is supported by advertising. The ads that appear on the right column of each page are not endorsed by CYFAR or anyone participating in this discussion.