Task 51
Task 5 Research Plan
Dominique V. Johnson
Old Dominion University
Task 5 Research Plan
The agency that I am currently evaluating is called the Pregnancy Support Center. The Pregnancy Support Center has been around for about 30 years, and placed within different locations. It supports eight surrounding counties families, teens, and women. This program provides parents the opportunity to evaluate their pregnancy options, assist them with the options they have chosen, offer mentors, and classes based off the choices they have made.
Stakeholders
Kathleen Holsopple is the main stakeholder that I have been working with during my evaluation process. She has been working with the Pregnancy Support Center for a very brief time, about 8 weeks, and is known to be the Executive Director of the Pregnancy Support Center. Alongside Kathleen, there are a staff of three that assist her with running the program, a board of directors, and a few volunteers. The stakeholders are also those who are currently attending the program, or will potentially do so in the future.
Being that the pregnancy support center is a non-profit organization, they require a lot of outside resources for the program. The Pregnancy Support Center receives majority of their help from churches, fund-raising, private grants, and even from prior recipients of the program that want to give back. As a non-profit organization it is important for the PSC to keep in touch with the community to find out the community needs, and to also seek support from the local community members to increase their number of stakeholders.
Type of Evaluation
For my evaluation, I would like to use the formative evaluation type. The formative evaluation type would help retain the positive features within the program, and change the things within the program that needs to be changed in order to improve it.
I want to be able to help strengthen the Pregnancy Support Center with their current plans, and increase their efficacy within their current program. With the formative evaluation type, I will be able to understand the strengths, and weaknesses of the program. Being that there is a new Executive Director at the Pregnancy Support Center I know that I may have to work harder to find the information that I need to weigh out the pros, and the cons of the program. By doing so, I will be able to complete an effective evaluation on the program, and be able to assist her, as well as the other stakeholders.
Evaluation Questions
The evaluation question that I have chosen for my research is, “Does the program have enough support from the community, and other organizations to continue to run, and support women, teens, and families?” I will be evaluating the support that the Pregnancy Support Center receives for them program to continue to exist, and support the women, teens, and families that are recipients of the program.
The formative evaluation will help me see the things that has worked for the program in the past, and observe why the program has been sufficient for the last 30 years. This type of evaluation will also help me understand what can be improved within the program to increase the amount of support the Pregnancy Support Center receives from the community, fundraising, and private grants.
Data
The data collection that I will be utilizing during my evaluation process are written surveys, and interviews. I will be collecting this data through the intended beneficiaries, and the providers of the services. Asking the stakeholders to complete these written surveys will provide me with valuable information about the program, without the breach of confidentiality. Allowing those who are stakeholders within the program express themselves freely without judgement is one of the best ways I can think of to collect data. I feel as though the surveys will allows them to be as open, and honest as they would like to be. Sometimes change does not happen because of fear, but with confidential surveys, this should not be an issue.
The interview method is mainly used when the stakeholders of the program do not wish to complete a written survey. Interviews are effective when trying to persuade those who do not wish to take the survey that this evaluation process is to help, and not harm their program. The interview process would also give me a chance to ask open-ended questions, and ask for more clarity if I need it. The interview process requires a lot of concentration, knowledge, and familiarity with the interview questions. It is not just simply a talk, it is a professional interview.
Research Method
The best research method that I think would be best to evaluate the Pregnancy Support Center is the qualitative method. The qualitative method involves a deep understanding of the program in which it will provide the most helpful evaluation. Posavac (2011) says, “Qualitative evaluators seek to develop an understanding of how a program operates; they do not seek to answer predefined questions” (151).
This method will best work with addressing my evaluation question because it gives me a chance to explore the already existing program, and seek out new information regarding the program. I will be able to address my evaluation question by conducting interviews, and gaining knowledge of the program through written surveys. With these methods I will be able to analyze if the Pregnancy Support Center is receiving enough support from their sources in order to continue to run their program.
References
Posavac, E. J. (2011). Program Evaluation: Methods and Case Studies (8th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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