Assistance with Logic Modeling

Focus Groups (English and Spanish)

Construction of Evaluation Instruments

Field Interviews

Data Driven Goal Planning

XXWe can assist you in constructing evaluation plans and logic models. We have experience in both qualitative and quantitative evaluation and usually try to design mixed method evaluations. In terms of qualitative methods, we often conduct focus groups and interviews then use content analysis to determine themes and make recommendations. Quantitatively, we can create uncomplicated designs such as pre-post assessments or more complicated factorial designs. Once the data is collected, we analyze it using descriptive statistics and/or advanced inferential statistics and write a report based on our findings.

XXMost funders expect that your project will include an evaluation component because they want to be assured they are investing their money wisely. However, for project directors, a program evaluator can help determine if goals are being met (outcome evaluation) and how to improve a program (formative evaluation). A good evaluator works with program staff in planning and shaping a program to maximize effectiveness.

Why not just evaluate the program myself?

XXIt is an evaluator's job to design and implement program evaluation, create assessment instruments, write logic models, collect, analyze and interpret data and write reports. S/he can usually complete these tasks quickly and efficiently. Moreover, an evaluator who is independent from the program provides objectivity, or the ability to view the program from an unbiased perspective.

XXAlthough using an outside evaluator can be costly, it aids in refining the program to be more effective and sustainable. For example, if your original funding source is no longer available, an evaluator may be able to assist you in locating new funding sources and provide data to support your application.

When is the best time to hire an evaluator?

XXThe best time to find a program evaluator is when you are writing your grant. At the start of a project, an evaluator can assist with goal/objective clarification and the development of evaluation criteria. This will help you design goals and objectives that are measurable as well as develop ways to generate data. It is a hassle to find out (after you have been funded) that you wrote objectives that cannot be measured. Involving the evaluator from the start will provide a better, more thorough evaluation and save you money. However, many organizations cannot afford to hire an evaluator before they are funded and evaluators are accustomed to being called in after the fact and working with a challenging evaluation or assisting you in modifying your objectives so they are measurable.

How do I find an evaluator?

XXThe American Evaluation Association has a program evaluator locater service at their site. States also often have organizations such as the Ohio Program Evaluator's Group. Belonging to an organization does not indicate the education or experience an evaluator has or whether an evaluator is right for you. When you contact us we will meet with you for an initial consultation at no charge to help you discover whether our services are the best fit for your needs. We can also provide references from prior clients.

What can I expect from an evaluator?

XXBy nature, program evaluation is a dynamic process. You should expect that your evaluator can be flexible, can act as a consultant to you, and can explain everything in understandable non-research terminology. In most instances you will work with an evaluator for a long time. You should have a good, honest, respectful working relationship (and a sense of humor always helps). Expect that in the beginning, you will meet with your evaluator frequently. There is a lot of "front-end loading" in evaluation. One key to a successful relationship is involving the evaluator as a collaborator while allowing an independent relationship to co-exist.

Can I find out more about hiring and working with an evaluator?

XXOne of the best documents we have found that outlines working with an evaluator is published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and is entitled Hiring and Working with an Evaluator.

Cheryl L. Meyer, Ph.D., J.D.

XXDr. Meyer began teaching statistics and research methods in 1983 while in graduate school. Always more intrigued by applied research, her interests shifted toward program evaluation. Over the last ten years she has been involved in numerous projects related to program evaluation both through her position at Wright State University and in her private consulting practice. Meyer has been an evaluator for national, state and regionally funded grants with government agencies, not for profit organizations and foundations. Many of the projects she has worked on have been evaluating education, prevention or intervention programs. She has evaluated numerous programs which served ethnic/cultural groups and other underserved populations. As a member of the American Evaluation Association she frequently presents papers at the annual national conference.

Dr. Meyer's academic research is on intrafamilial violence, specifically, mothers who kill their children. She has written two books on the topic. The first book, Mothers Who Kill Their Children: Understanding the Acts of Moms from Susan Smith to the "Prom Mom," is based on a quantitative analysis of archival data, while the second, When Mothers Kill: Interviews From Prison (due to be released in 2008), is based on forty interviews she conducted with incarcerated women. Dr. Meyer has a Ph.D. in Psychology and a law degree so her research has an interdisciplinary focus incorporating legal, psychological and sociological perspectives.

Debra Zendlovitz, M.S.W., L.I.S.W.

XXAfter earning her M.S.W. in 1979, Ms. Zendlovitz practiced as a clinical social worker in a variety of settings including school social work, outpatient mental health in both community and private practice settings and adolescent community outreach. As a family therapist, her work has included children, adolescents, adults and families. As a teacher of social work, sociology and psychology at Northwest Missouri State University, Ms. Zendlovitz developed her interest in program evaluation. Her specialties are qualitative research, including focus groups and interviews.

CLM Program Evaluation
P.O. Box 615
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
For more information email us
937-545-4729