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and strengthens influence; it
makes obvious the path from
intention to impact; it provides
the information that makes it
possible to discuss, in concrete
terms, the value of effective
comprehensive community
development.”
SUSAN LLOYD, who helped launch NCP as a
MacArthur Foundation program director and
now consults independently on evaluation
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
MEASURING AND EVALUATING ARE
NOT JUST AFTER-THE-FACT
EXERCISES BUT REAL-TIME TOOLS
TO GET BETTER HERE-AND-NOW
RESULTS.
Dena Al Khatib, former NCP
manager at Bickerdike Redevelopment
Corp., explained three ways she
employed measuring and evaluating
techniques: 1) external data was used
to set priorities for Humboldt Park’s
quality-of-life plan and to leverage
resources; 2) a measurement tool was
implemented to prioritize which projects
received funding; and 3) communications
tools were used to publicize progress
externally and to help track gains
internally. Said Khatib:
“ These are not what you would
traditionally think of as evaluation
tools… but by putting an
emphasis on effective program
management and administration,
you get the added benefit of
creating systems that lead to
better evaluation.”
She gave an example:
“ In Humboldt Park we had so
many partners with so many
ideas that we had to have a
system. So we developed, I think
it was a seven-question proposal
that agencies were asked to
respond to in 2-3 pages max. And
that actually became the first test
of do you have a concept or do
you have a project that’s ready to
move forward If you couldn’t put
it down on paper, then it wasn’t
ready to go. Formalizing the
process helped us make sure we
had not just an eager staff
person, but agency support. One
of the questions asked how the
project would leverage additional
funds, and we asked for a
budget, so the staff person
usually had to run things up the
chain of command a little more
formally.”
KEY TAKE-AWAY:
COMMUNITY-BASED JOURNALISM
CAN BE AN ENGAGING WAY TO
DOCUMENT WHAT’S BEING
ACCOMPLISHED, BUT THERE’S A
TENDENCY TO REPORT ONLY THE
GOOD NEWS.
“ Using journalism to document
and evaluate has benefits and
flaws. The main benefit is that we
scribes can tell stories of
neighborhood renewal in ways
that are more evocative, more
interesting, more understandable
than any annual report to grantmakers
… The main drawback
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