The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida

EMPOWERMENT EVALUATION MATRIX

Introduction

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, the philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, supports community-based solutions that address the many different health care challenges facing Florida both today and in the future. The mission of The Blue Foundation is to enhance access to quality health-related services for Floridians, with a particular focus on the uninsured and underserved.

To achieve its goals, The Blue Foundation strategically focuses its support on philanthropic, community-based solutions that: improve program capacity and reduce barriers to access; nurture community health leadership to reinforce local solutions, foster innovation and sustain quality; and leverage financial, human and other resources to maximize measurable impact.

To ensure that its philanthropic grantmaking has the greatest positive impact on the health and well being of Floridians, The Blue Foundation supports its grantees’ abilities to track, measure and evaluate the progress of their programs and services. Therefore, The Blue Foundation has incorporated the following evaluation criteria (among others) into its grant application review process:

  • A demonstrated commitment to a detailed, high-quality planning process that engages the necessary resources and leadership with a credible evaluation strategy; and
  • Potential favorable impact with:
  • An expected significant outcome;
  • High-quality intervention(s);
  • Number to be served relative to goals and resources;
  • Likelihood to influence other organizations;
  • Possible chance for positive systemic change; and
  • A practical evaluation plan.

The Blue Foundation uses the “Empowerment Evaluation” approach to planning and evaluation for its grantees. In addition to describing projected outcomes and results, as well as measurement and evaluation processes in the “Program / Project Narrative” section of the online grant application, The Blue Foundation also requires applicants to complete and attach an Empowerment Evaluation Matrix to their applications.

Please carefully read the “Tips” section before completing the Empowerment Evaluation Matrix. Remember to save this document to your computer often so as not to lose changes.

When you complete your Empowerment Evaluation Matrix, you will need to attach a copy to your grant application that can be accessed through The Blue Foundation’s Web site: The last page of the online application provides the opportunity to attach your Empowerment Evaluation Matrix to your application. At the bottom of the page is a section with the header “Upload.” From the drop-down menu select “The Blue Foundation Empowerment Evaluation Matrix.” Click on the “Browse” button. You will be prompted to locate your saved Empowerment Evaluation Matrix on your computer. Once you locate your saved form, click on the “Open” button. Click on the “Upload” button and the document will be attached to your application.

Overview of Empowerment Evaluation

Pioneered in the 1990s by Dr. David Fetterman, Empowerment Evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts, techniques and findings to foster improvement and self-determination. Although it can be applied to individuals, organizations, communities and societies or cultures, the focus is usually on programs. As Fetterman explains in Foundations of Empowerment Evaluation (2000), “Empowerment Evaluation was designed to help people help themselves and improve their programs using a form of self-evaluation and reflection. Program participants – including clients – conduct their own evaluations; an outside evaluator often serves as a coach or additional facilitator depending on internal program capabilities.” Empowerment Evaluation was also designed to mainstream evaluation as part of the planning and management of the program/organization (Fetterman 2000).

Empowerment Evaluation is based on the premise that people who design, implement, staff and consume the program’s services are in the best position to evaluate outcomes. According to Dr. Barbara Morrison-Rodriguez, president and CEO of BMR Consulting and accomplished research methodologist, “The more that people engage in the act of conducting their own evaluations the more likely it is that they will find the results credible and act on the recommendations.” Dr. Morrison-Rodriguez further states, “Empowerment Evaluation can help you clarify your values. It can help you to know if your activities are reaching your intended groups. Empowerment Evaluation uses evaluation concepts to develop skills for on-going self-assessment (build capacity) that can be used to obtain and maintain funding and support (evidence of effectiveness). It documents your efforts and allows you to inform yourself and others about what did and did not work. Additionally, Empowerment Evaluation utilizes a strengths- or assets-based approach that can guide policy and inform practice.”

Tips for Completing the Empowerment Evaluation Matrix

Beginning on page 4 of this document, you will find four (4) Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheets, one (1) per page. Below, please find the bolded headings and corresponding definitions of the various sections of the Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheets you need to complete. Underneath each heading are bulleted tips for completing each section of the worksheet.

The main idea or concept behind the Empowerment Evaluation process is for organizations to collectively define – with the input of program participants / clients – what everyone involved in the program / project (i.e., members of the evaluation team) feel the intended outcomes of the program should be. Therefore, to best complete the Empowerment Evaluation Matrix, you (or your group) may want to work backwards by first stating the outcomes / results you hope the program / project activities will achieve.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION

  • Please state the name of your organization at the top of each Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheet.

PROGRAM / PROJECT TITLE

  • Please list the program / project title at the top of each Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheet.
  • Be sure that the title on each Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheet matches the program / project title on your grant application.

GOALS: Specific aims of a particular program or project consistent with the mission of the organization.

  • Goals should be clearly stated at the top of each Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheet.
  • Your Empowerment Evaluation Matrix should contain a minimum of one (1), but no more than four (4), program / project goals.
  • If you have more than four (4) goals, please state only the four (4) most important goals.
  • Goals relating to different aspects of the program / project should be stated on separate Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheets [i.e., one (1) goal per worksheet].
  • Goals should address the outcomes your program / project hopes to achieve and NOT the activities related to the program / project.
  • The target population should be identified within the goal statement.
  • Goals should be realistic given the scope of the problem / need, characteristics of the target population, duration and funding level of the program / project.
  • The goal(s) of your program / project should be consistent with the overall mission of your organization.

Example: To increase access to low- or no-cost, quality dental services for homeless adults in XYZ counties.

PROCESS OBJECTIVES AND OUTPUTS: What the program / project intends to accomplish (i.e., outputs) in order to create or facilitate change (i.e., outcomes).

  • Process objectives state, in relatively broad terms, the various actions you will take to achieve the desired outcome(s) associated with a particular goal.
  • Outputs are the quantified results of the activities / work performed, often expressed as number of people to be served or number of services to be performed.
  • Please list one (1) process objective per row on each worksheet.
  • Please state one (1) or more measurable and appropriate (logical) process objectives for each stated goal.
  • Feel free to insert additional rows on any / all Empowerment Evaluation Matrix worksheets. Please list only one (1) process objective per row.

Example: Recruit 25 additional certified dental professionals to provide dental exams and cleanings.

ACTIVITIES: The individual tasks or action items the program / project staff will undertake to accomplish each process objective.

  • In the ACTIVITIES column, please separately list each task your staff will perform to implement and achieve the corresponding process objective.
  • Stated activities should be logically linked to the accomplishment of one (1) or more process objectives.

Examples: Obtain list of dental professionals from local dental society chapter. Contact by phone local dental offices and professionals. Develop and mail recruitment letters to dental professionals. Secure signed contracts and/or memoranda of understanding from local dental professionals.

TIME FRAME: The date(s) when specific activities and / or services are expected to occur and / or be completed.

  • Each stated activity (or group of like activities) should have its own start and stop / due date.
  • Dates may be expressed in terms of days, months or even years.
  • For those activities that will continue throughout the life of the program / project, please simply list these activities as “on going.”

REQUIRED RESOURCES: The skills, staff and other resources needed to carry out each stated activity.

  • The required resources needed to perform activities also should be reflected in the program / project budget.

RESPONSIBLE PERSONS: The person(s) who will oversee or execute the activities relative to the stated process objective(s).

  • Specific individuals or position titles are indicated for each activity.
  • There should be a match between the Responsible Persons and the budget.

OUTCOMES: The desired changes in the individual client(s), community health status, organization status or health system status that the program / project hopes to achieve as a result of accomplishing the process objectives.

  • Outcomes should be stated as numerical performance targets that express a desired degree of change (expressed as a percentage).
  • Stated outcomes should describe how and the degree to which the status quo will change by using such action word as increase, decrease, improve, gain, etc.
  • Outcomes should include clear performance baselines whenever possible.
  • Please state no more than one (1) measurable outcome for each process objective. While there may be multiple desired outcomes for a process objective, please list the one (1) that is most critical.
  • The target population of the outcome should match the target population of the process objective.
  • Outcomes should be reasonable given the characteristics and needs of the target population and the level of the intervention.

Example: To increase the number of dental professionals providing low- or no-cost exams and cleanings to homeless adults in XYZ county by 20% (baseline: 100 dental professionals; desired outcome: 20 new dental volunteers for a total of 120).

INDICATORS AND TOOLS: Specific measures and / or benchmarks used as evidence that outcomes have actually been achieved.

  • Indicators are valid and reliable measures of outcome variables.
  • Tools refer to the processes and / or devices used to track and measure the indicators.
  • Indicators should be appropriate and specific to each stated outcome.
  • When available and feasible, indicators and tools should follow evidence-based practices / models.
  • It is not only permissible, but also encouraged, to have more than one (1) indicator and / or tool for a single outcome. Evidence of performance is often strengthened when there is more than one (1) indicator to measure the outcome from different sources (triangulation).

NAME OF ORGANIZATION
PROGRAM / PROJECT TITLE
GOAL # 1
PROCESS OBJECTIVES
AND OUTPUTS
Major strategic approaches used to accomplish desired outcomes and the anticipated results
(What) / ACTIVITIES
The individual tasks/steps performed by the staff to achieve each objective
(How) / TIME FRAME
Due dates for activities
(When) / REQUIRED
RESOURCES / RESPONSIBLE
PERSONS
(Who) / OUTCOMES
Projected benefits / degree of change to clients, program or community often expressed as percentages
(Why) / INDICATORS AND TOOLS
Measures and processes used to demonstrate outcome attainment
(Evidence)

These rows are text-expandable.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION
PROGRAM / PROJECT TITLE
GOAL # 2
PROCESS OBJECTIVES
AND OUTPUTS
Major strategic approaches used to accomplish desired outcomes and the anticipated results
(What) / ACTIVITIES
The individual tasks/steps performed by the staff to achieve each objective
(How) / TIME FRAME
Due dates for activities
(When) / REQUIRED
RESOURCES / RESPONSIBLE
PERSONS
(Who) / OUTCOMES
Projected benefits / degree of change to clients, program or community often expressed as percentages
(Why) / INDICATORS AND TOOLS
Measures and processes used to demonstrate outcome attainment
(Evidence)

These rows are text-expandable.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION
PROGRAM / PROJECT TITLE
GOAL # 3
PROCESS OBJECTIVES
AND OUTPUTS
Major strategic approaches used to accomplish desired outcomes and the anticipated results
(What) / ACTIVITIES
The individual tasks/steps performed by the staff to achieve each objective
(How) / TIME FRAME
Due dates for activities
(When) / REQUIRED
RESOURCES / RESPONSIBLE
PERSONS
(Who) / OUTCOMES
Projected benefits / degree of change to clients, program or community often expressed as percentages
(Why) / INDICATORS AND TOOLS
Measures and processes used to demonstrate outcome attainment
(Evidence)

These rows are text-expandable.

NAME OF ORGANIZATION
PROGRAM / PROJECT TITLE
GOAL # 4
PROCESS OBJECTIVES
AND OUTPUTS
Major strategic approaches used to accomplish desired outcomes and the anticipated results
(What) / ACTIVITIES
The individual tasks/steps performed by the staff to achieve each objective
(How) / TIME FRAME
Due dates for activities
(When) / REQUIRED
RESOURCES / RESPONSIBLE
PERSONS
(Who) / OUTCOMES
Projected benefits / degree of change to clients, program or community often expressed as percentages
(Why) / INDICATORS AND TOOLS
Measures and processes used to demonstrate outcome attainment
(Evidence)

These rows are text-expandable.

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