Evaluation Planning & Outcome Measurement

1. Evaluation Planning & Outcome Measurement Beyond the #!@#*$! Logic Model Al Fournier, Dan McDonald & Tom DeGomez 2010 AAEA In-Service, Maricopa Agricultural Center

2. Why Evaluate?

3. Why Evaluate? (1) • “Customer satisfaction” • Program improvement (formative) • Did people learn? (knowledge, skills) • Did people change? (adoption) • Did the situation change? (outcome, impact)

4. Why Evaluate? (2) • To document outcomes • Reporting • To prove our worth (APR, continuing) • To keep $ flowing (grant success) • Because we have to!

5. What do you evaluate?

6. How often to you evaluate “customer satisfaction”? • Always • Most of the time (> 66%) • Sometimes (34 - 65%) • Occasionally (< 33%) • Never

7. How often to you evaluate clientele learning? • Always • Most of the time (> 66%) • Sometimes (34 - 65%) • Occasionally (< 33%) • Never

8. How often to you evaluate application of learning? • Always • Most of the time (> 66%) • Sometimes (34 - 65%) • Occasionally (< 33%) • Never

9. How often to you evaluate Outcomes? • Always • Most of the time (> 66%) • Sometimes (34 - 65%) • Occasionally (< 33%) • Never

10. How often to you evaluate impacts? • Always • Most of the time (> 66%) • Sometimes (34 - 65%) • Occasionally (< 33%) • Never

11. Short term Increase awareness Increase knowledge Change attitudes Apply knowledge Adopt a practice Long term Result of short term outcomes “in the world” Increase profits Improve health Reduce pollution Outcomes versus Impacts

12. Taught growers how to reduce irrigation but maintain yields • Outcome • Impact

13. Increased parent awareness of cyber-bullying • Outcome • Impact

14. Reduced absentee rates in schools after adopting IPM • Outcome • Impact

15. Barriers to Evaluation

16. Barriers to Evaluation • Lack of time • Lack $ • Lack of knowledge • Lack of experience • Low priority / not important • Not interested • Other?

17. Which program should I Evaluate? (PSU tipsheet) http://extension.psu.edu/evaluation/titles.html

18. Why Evaluate? (2) • To prove our worth (APR, continuing) • To keep $ flowing (grant success) • Because we have to!

19. Example: Regional IPM Applications must provide detailed plans for evaluation of the project…. The evaluation plan should include specific evaluation objectives and measurement indicators (e.g., adoption rate, number of acres impacted, pesticide use, risk reduction, profitability) that will be used to measure impacts and outcomes resulting from the project. Evaluation plans that include surveys should indicate survey expertise of investigators and/or describe the survey methodology that will be used.

20. Evaluation Planning • Evaluation Objectives: What change do you want to document? • Measurement Indicators: What data will you use to document change? • Methodology: How will you collect the data?

21. Evaluation Plan (1) • Objective 1: To measure knowledge of natural enemies (I.D.) & their role in whitefly management. • Data: Can they identify natural enemies? Do they know the role of specific fauna in whitefly management? (knowledge) • How: audience response survey

22. Evaluation Plan (2) • Objective 2: To collect baseline data on current whitefly management practices. • Data: self-reported sampling practices and thresholds for treatment, do they consider natural enemies? • How: survey implemented face-to-face & online.

23. Evaluation Plan (3) • Objective 3: To measure the intention of clientele to adopt revised thresholds, sampling and management guidelines. • Data: self-reported attitudes about usefulness of NE in WF control; willingness to adopt. • How: the same survey implemented face-to-face & online.

24. Example: Regional IPM Applications must provide detailed plans for evaluation of the project…. The evaluation plan should include specific evaluation objectives and measurement indicators (e.g., adoption rate, number of acres impacted, pesticide use, risk reduction, profitability) that will be used to measure impacts and outcomes resulting from the project. Evaluation plans that include surveys should indicate survey expertise of investigators and/or describe the survey methodology that will be used.

25. Example: Regional IPM Applications must provide detailed plans for evaluation of the project…. …such as logic models or other established methods.

26. Remember 3 Things: • What change do you want to document? (Evaluation Objectives, based on program goals, linked to program activities) • What data will you use to document change? (Measurement Indicators) • How will you collect the data? (Methodology)

27. What about your programs? • Evaluation Objective • Measurement Indicator • Methodology

28. DeterminingEvaluation Objectives • Look at desired outcomes & impacts.

30. DeterminingEvaluation Objectives • Look at desired outcomes & impacts. • Be careful about commitments. • Look at your outputs for who to target, what to focus on. Outputs should relate to desired outcomes.

32. DeterminingEvaluation Objectives • Look at desired outcomes & impacts. • Be careful about commitments. • Look at your outputs for who to target, what to focus on. Outputs should relate to desired outcomes. • Look at your inputs (resources).

34. DeterminingEvaluation Objectives • Look at desired outcomes. • Be careful about commitments. • Look at your outputs for who to target, what to focus on. Outputs should relate to desired outcomes. • Look at your inputs (resources). • Keep it real & prioritize. (Needs, budget, abilities.)

35. What makes a good Measurement Indicator? • Is it measurable? • Are data obtainable? • Can it be quantified? (or qualified) • Does it relate directly to your program goals?

36. What makes a good Measurement Indicator? • Is it measurable? • Are data obtainable? • Can it be quantified? (or qualified) • Does it relate directly to your program goals?

37. Data Sources (methods) • Existing or common data (public sources, census data, Dept. of Education, etc.) • Surveys (written, online, telephone) • Interviews • Observations • Focus groups • Other…?

38. Indicate your level of experience with written surveys • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

39. Indicate your level of experience with online surveys • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

40. Indicate your level of experience with telephone surveys • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

41. Indicate your level of experience with focus groups • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

42. Indicate your level of experience with advisory groups • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

43. Indicate your level of experience with interviewing • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

44. Indicate your level of experience using existing data sources for evaluation • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

45. Indicate your level of experience with Human Subjects (IRB) • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

46. Indicate your level of experience with evaluation planning • I am an expert • Lots of experience • Some experience • Tried it once or twice • No experience

47. Indicate your level of familiarity with UA CE evaluation website • Used the site more than once • Used the site to find resources • Viewed the site • Heard of it, never visited • Never heard of it

48. Evaluation Planning (PSU tipsheets) • Evaluation strategy (8 steps) • http://extension.psu.edu/evaluation/pdf/TS82.pdf • Linking outcomes to program activities and writing Impact statements • http://extension.psu.edu/evaluation/pdf/TS81.pdf

49. Documenting Impacts

50. IPM Program Goals (desired impacts) • Reduce economic risk (profit) • Reduce risk to human health • Reduce risk to the environment