Program Evaluation Measuring What Matters

Jennifer Laewen and Joyce Lundrigan

Options Bytown

December 1st, 2016

Fears of Program Evaluation

Will divert resources away from program

Too complicated

Additional burden on staff

Will produce negative results

Why?

1. To find out what works and doesn’t

Are participants benefiting from program?

Participant satisfaction

One group benefitting more that another

Waste valuable time and resources

Why continued....

2. Informs Frontline Practice

Helps focus work

Identify emerging trends

Training and support needs of staff

Why continued....

3. Creates a culture of self-reflection and analysis

Ongoing assessment will strengthen programs and improve outcomes for those that we serve

Help to build knowledge for organization and community so that successful strategies are replicated

Why....

4. Accountability

To program participants, organization, funders and community

Historically Options Bytown Program Evaluation

Partnership with university

Based on life cycle of student or course

Hard to sustain- changes in organization/needs of tenants

Takes time and resources

Good qualitative data- tells the story, hard to quantify

Funder Stats- quantitative, difficult to measure change

Homelessness Outcome Star

Evidence- Based – thoroughly researched and replicated in several countries

Developed at St.Mungos in England in conjunction with front-line workers and program participants

Holistic- Measures change in 10 domains

Visual

The evaluation is done with participants and not “to the client”

Continued.....

Focuses the work of participants and frontline workers

Provides both quantitative and qualitative data

Demonstrates impact and outcomes

Information for participants, frontline workers, managers and funders

Measure change across programs, workers and client groups

Identify emerging trends

Measures Change in 10 Domains

Implementation

Training, SLA’s

Piloted with case management program

2 workers- 24 clients

Implemented in HFCM team 6 workers- 120 clients

Piloting in Resource Centre Team

Implementing in Supportive Housing Program

Presenting Issues

Demographics

Ethnicity

Referrals

Source of Income

What is Working Well

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Self- Care and Living Skills

Managing Tenancy and Accommodation

Social Networks and Relationships

Meaningful Use of Time

Homelessness Star Chart

Homelessness Star Chart and Action Plan

Exercise

Social Networks and Relationships Managing

Questions ?