For this assignment, write a paper describing the program area of Missouri Children’s Division and the preventative services offered for at-risk families, the program’s theory of change, and the evaluation goals. The first part of the paper should describe the program’s purpose, its importance, its targeted clients, and a discussion of how the program works. Then, have a literature review (1-2 articles) that supports (or questions) this theory of change. The next part of the paper should lay out the purposes of the proposed evaluation, the critical stakeholders to include, and the key evaluation questions that the evaluation will address.
Introduction:
Please complete the Introduction section of your Program Evaluation Report. Introductory paragraph: Summarize what your Program Evaluation Report will cover (Missouri Children’s Division and preventative services offered to at-risk families): Problem or concern, program to be evaluated, evaluation design used, and state that the report will discuss findings and make recommendations.
Introduce the problem or concern: Use research findings in the literature and practice experience to inform this inquiry.
Program to be evaluated: Put the evaluation in context with a brief descriiption of the program, services, and clientele.
Theory: Identify the formal theory or theories that explain the etiology of the problem/concern.
Purpose and Significance: State the purpose of the program evaluation and why it is important
Logic Model – This is a section of the paper
Understanding a program’s theory and representing it in a logic model is a starting point in program evaluation. Complete a logic model for the program you intend to study. Any structure for the logic model can be used, but it should include program processes and expected outcomes.
To gather information to create the logic model and answer the questions, you will need to conduct at least one interview and/or focus group. The aim is to root your evaluation plan in stakeholder information and meet their decision-making needs. Therefore, you will interview a key stakeholder or (focus) group of stakeholders.
Literature review – this is a section of the paper
Please have at least seven references.
Current Knowledge: What current programs, interventions, or models are attempting to address the problem or concern? What empirical evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of contemporary interventions?
Evaluate the Literature: For each source, critically analyze the methods and the findings. Note whether the methods are qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods.
Explain the usefulness of the studies in informing, improving, and evaluating practice.
What is missing in the literature?
State the research hypothesis and/or research question (1 paragraph).
To accompany your logic model, provide a 2-3 page narrative that answers the questions below. Please use the questions/interview schedule as your subheadings when you write this up.
Whom did you interview? What are their roles in the program?
What are the goals and objectives of the program you will evaluate?
Who is the program designed to serve? Include as much demographic detail as possible
(age, gender, ethnicity, etc.) for each group impacted by the program (e.g., students, parents, clients, etc.). Give your best estimate if precise demographic information is not available.
What are the means through which program goals and objectives are expected to be met? In other words, what activities does the program utilize to serve its clientele?
What data/records currently exist relative to this program’s goals, objectives, and activities?
Methodology – This is section of the paper
Methodology (Remember there should be enough detail that the reader could replicate your study)
Design: Specify the research design(s) used in the program evaluation and justify this choice.
Sample: Describe the data source: criteria for inclusion, sampling method, and recruitment of participants if applicable.
Measures: Describe the instrument or instruments (if any) used in the data collection. (Be sure to cite authors)
Data Collection: Describe the procedures used in collecting the data in detail. If applicable, include information on human subjects’ research compliance
Data analysis: Describe the data analysis used, including descriiptive statistics included.
Results: This is a section of the paper
Findings: Present the conclusions regarding the hypothesis test or provide the answers to your research question(s) or (Just the facts here). Tables, graphs, and charts may help present the findings. (According to APA format, these will follow the references and be placed before the Appendices.)
Unexpected Findings: discuss findings that are unusual or unexpected but not related to the research questions.
