What is Policy Research and Program Evaluation?

The Law requires that most federally funded grants be measured for performance against promises and for making contributions to the communities in which they are placed.  Program Evaluations therefore need to measure pre-grant conditions against post-grant conditions, the validity of the processes used by grantees, the validity and extent of Outcomes attributable to the grant, and the net impact of the grant on the community of beneficiaries by comparing against control groups.

Social Grant Program Evaluations

We generally separate the evaluation effort into the following broad steps:

• Familiarization with background materials
• Refining the Scope of the Evaluation in the context of the broad program goals and specific goals of grantees
• Designing the study
• Designing the data collection program and instruments, and preparing the OMB clearance package if necessary
• Conducting the needed site visits and focus groups
• Conducting the data collection survey, if needed
• Performing the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data gathered
• Writing the final report and presentation of the results

Technology Program Evaluation

Capital investment analysis, assessment of customer and user feed back and buy-in, and the synthesis and assessment of end user scenarios are more important in technology program evaluations. We use more formal computer models in this arena.

Tools Used

• Program Evaluation
• Design and Implementation
• Econometric and Statistical Analysis
• Policy Analysis
• Technical Assistance
• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Process Mapping
• Process and cost analysis
• Documentation support
• Benchmark and best practice identification