2013-2015 Grantees


Evaluation Questions for Behavior Change

Community POWER Grant Program (updated June 2014)

To Community POWER Project Leaders:

The following instructions explain how to use the Community POWER evaluation questions for behavior change. The “respondents” are the people who learned about waste reduction, recycling, composting and/or toxicity reduction because of your efforts.

About the Questions

When adapting this survey for your use, reference your grant activity, event or campaign according to the name you used to promote it, whether it was "Community POWER" or another name (for example, "Go Green Girls"). It is helpful for respondents if you give/provide a short description of your project activities or events that they participated in to help jog their memory (for example, "These questions relate to your actions based on what you learned at the Saint Joseph Parish Earth Day Festival, held on April 22, 2014. This festival had several booths with games and demonstrations on recycling and reuse.")

Choosing the Right Questions to Ask

You must use all of the questions from the Recycling category. In the other question categories, only choose those questions that relate to the content of what people learned through your Community POWER project. If some of the questions in the other categories do not relate to your project, do not use those questions in your survey.

When to Administer the Questions

These questions should be administered only after a person participates in your program or goes through an educational experience that you organized, and enough time has passed (about two to six months) so that they could implement what they learned in their daily life.

How to Administer the Questions

You can use written surveys, on-line surveys, or in an interview format (over the phone or in person). If you plan to use online surveys, the Survey Monkey survey can be customized for your group, given a unique URL and distributed to those you are surveying. Please contact Kira Berglund () to set it up.

If you are planning a follow-up meeting or event with former participants, this would be a good opportunity to survey. If you are mailing out surveys, include a stamped return envelope to help increase your response rate.

Customizing the Questions / Survey

•The name of your program, project, or workshop can be inserted throughout the questions. Other language of the questions should not be altered.

•These questions can be inserted into an existing survey or accompany other questions you design.

•It can be useful to ask the respondent’s level of experience with the program (days or hours or participation, for example) as well as other background information.

•To use the questions as a pre/post test, please contact Kira (see below) to discuss options.

If you have any questions, contact the grants manager at or call 651-222-7227.REDUCE AND REUSE

Q1. Indicate your level of engagement in the followingwaste-reduction actionssince participating in"this program"? (Select one answer for each action)
(GRANTEE: add specific program/activity brand name and give a brief description to help jog respondent's memory. Select only those waste reduction actions that are related to the topics you educated about.)

WASTE REDUCTION ACTIONS / I have THOUGHT about trying this action / I have tried this action ONCE / I have tried this action MORE than once / This action is NOW a habit for me / This action was ALREADY a habit for me / I have NO intentions of trying this action / I am still CONFUSED on how to do it
√ / √ / √ / √ / √ / √ / √
Avoid buying overly packaged food or other products / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Use a cloth or reusable bag instead of taking paper or plastic at the store / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Make gifts, cards, giftwrap, etc. from reused materials instead of buying new / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Make toys or kids' art projects with reused items instead of buying new / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Reduce waste at gatherings/events, for example by avoiding disposable dishes / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Take steps to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Donate usable goods (such as clothes, household items, etc.) instead of throwing them away / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Shop at reuse stores, such as
Goodwill, Arc, consignment shops, garage sales or craigslist / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

RECYCLING ALL GRANTEES MUST ASK ALL RECYCLING QUESTIONS

Q2.Which of the following materials did you recyclebefore learning about recycling in "this program"? (Select all that apply)

a.Newspapers

b.Office paper/mail

c.Magazines

d.Boxboard (cereal boxes, etc.)

e.Cardboard

f.Aluminum cans

g.Metal food cans

h.Glass bottles and jars

i.Plastic bottles

j.Plastic caps

k.Other plastic containers

l.Beverage/soup/broth cartons

m.Other: ______

Q3.Which of the following materials do you currently recycle? (Select all that apply)

a.Newspapers

b.Office paper/mail

c.Magazines

d.Boxboard (cereal boxes, etc.)

e.Cardboard

f.Aluminum cans

g.Metal food cans

h.Glass bottles and jars

i.Plastic bottles

j.Plastic caps

k.Other plastic containers

l.Beverage/soup/broth cartons

m.Other: ______

Q4.If you recently started recycling or recycling additional items,how much is the change due to your participation in "this program"?

(Select one answer)

1.Entirely

2.Mostly

3.Somewhat

4.Not at all

5.Don't know

Q5.Please explain your answer to the previous question.

Q6.Some items (such as plastic bags, metal hangers and shoes) are not collected at the curb or at apartment building recycling programs, but are accepted at local retailers. What items, if any, do you recycle at local retailers?

Q7.How often do you recycle away from home if you see a recycling bin? (Select one answer)

1.Always

2.Most of the time

3.Sometimes

4.Rarely or Never

Q8. How often do you offer recycling for your guests at parties and events? (Select one answer)

1.Always

2.Most of the time

3.Sometimes

4.Rarely or Never

Q9. How often do you choose to purchase items that contain recycled content when those items are available (for example, office paper, paper towels, carpet)? (Select one answer)

1.Always

2.Most of the time

3.Sometimes

4.Rarely or Never

Q10.Do you purchase items with recycled content more frequently now than in the past?

1.YesHow muchis the change due to your participation in "this program"? (Select one answer)

2.No

1.Entirely

2.Mostly

3.Somewhat

4.Not at all

5.Don't know

Q11.Please explain your answer to the previous question.

Q12. Have you ever visited the RethinkRecycling.com website?
1.Yes

2.No

3.Don’t know

Q13. Did you first learn about the RethinkRecycling.com websitefrom your participation in "this program"?

1.Yes

2.No

3.Don’t know

TOXICITY REDUCTION

Q14.There are many ways to keep hazardous materials out of the garbage and reduce our exposure to these items. Which of the following did you learn about or start doing as a result of "thisprogram"? (Select one answer for each action) (GRANTEE: add specific program/activity brand name and give a brief description to help jog respondent's memory. Select only those actions that are related to the topics you educated about.)

ACTIONS / I have THOUGHT about trying this action / I have tried this action ONCE / I have tried this action MORE than once / This action is NOW a habit for me / This action was ALREADY a habit for me / I have NO intentions of trying this action / I am still CONFUSED on how to do it
√ / √ / √ / √ / √ / √ / √
Read product labels (for safe use, to find the least hazardous alternative, etc.) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Store hazardous products safely (away from children, furnace, pets, in original containers, etc.) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Make cleaners at home from simple and safe ingredients (such as vinegar and baking soda) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Dispose of hazardous items (such as pesticides, aerosol cans, motor oil) at a county Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Facility / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Dispose of items containing mercury (such as CFL light bulbs and certain batteries) at a county drop-off facility / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Recycle electronics (such as computers, TVs, cell phones) at a retailer or county drop-off facility / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

COMPOSTING

Q15. Indicate which composting actions you learned about or started doing as aresult of "this program"? (Select one answer for each action)(GRANTEE: add specific program/activity brand name and give a brief description to help jog respondent's memory. Select only those composting actions that are related to the topics you educated about.)

COMPOSTING ACTIONS / I have THOUGHT about trying this action / I have tried this action ONCE / I have tried this action MORE than once / This action is NOW a habit for me / This action was ALREADY a habit for me / I have NO intentions of trying this action / I am still CONFUSED on how to do it
√ / √ / √ / √ / √ / √ / √
Compost food scraps using a WORM BIN / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Compost food scraps and yard waste in a BACKYARD BIN / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Participate in a curbside collection or drop-off program for composting YARD WASTE / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Participate in a curbside collection or drop-off program for composting FOOD WASTE / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Offer organics recycling for my guests at parties and events / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Leave grass clippings on my lawn / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
During dry periods, water my lawn only the MINIMUM amount needed / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Use fewer chemicals on my lawn / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

1

Ask these questions AFTER you have taught your audience about these issues and enough time has passed for them to make changes to their behavior (usually 2 – 6 months).