Does evaluation sound like a nice idea but you’re not sure if it’s worth the time and energy? Are you worried that if your program is evaluated, you’ll be asked to change it in ways that you don't want to? We are a program manager and an evaluator who worked together to evaluate services for immigrants and refugees. We’ll outline the entire evaluation process for you, from identifying the goals of a program or service to using what you learn to make changes and share the impact of the service. After we share the overview, you’ll tell us which parts of the process you’re most interested in, and we’ll discuss those in more depth. You read that right—you get to tell us in real time what you most want to talk about. You’ll have a chance to think through how you’d apply the evaluation guidance we share to any program or service where you want participants to connect with or learn from each other. We are pretty sure you do something at your library where you want to see that happen! This interactive workshop is for anyone curious about evaluation, whether you are experienced or new to it.
Learning Outcomes:- Participants will be able to understand the entire cycle of an evaluation, including identifying a desired impact, data collection, analysis, and how to using findings. How to use findings will include updating the program design and advocating for and explaining the impact of the program to other people.
- Participants will be able to explore and learn more about three areas of the evaluation process that interest them the most.
- Participants will be able to apply the concept of having an outcome or desired impact for a program or service to guide an evaluation at their own organization.
