Evaluation Sourcebook (.pdf) - School of Natural Resources and ...

INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES THREATS ASSETS STRATEGIESX Is poor health or depression a problem in our community? Number of depression cases diagnosed/treated in local mental healthfacilitiesLevels of community interaction and engagement (see Relationships andsocial networks, p. 72 and Participation and engagement, p. 74)Percent of mothers who did not receive prenatal care within first 3 months ofpregnancyNumber per 1,000 people infected with a communicable disease (Clamydia,Hepatitis C, TB, AIDS, etc.)Percent of county residents not covered by health insurance compared tostate and national dataPercent of residents classified as overweight or obeseData sources• Police or sheriff’s department• County Public Health Department• social service agencies• Surveys, interviews and focus groups• Content analysis of local newspapers• FedStats on crime and justices: http://www.fedstats.gov/programs/crime.htmlExampleThe Toronto Community Foundation created a program called Vital Signs, a communityreport card that measures “issues that are important to Toronto and Torontonians.” Oneissue of great concern to the Foundation is homelessness, which has been on the rise in theToronto area over the past ten years. Utilizing data from the city’s Community Servicesand Housing Department, the group examined this threat more thoroughly. Theydiscovered that the number of children staying in shelters had increased 120% over a tenyearperiod, two parent families are the fastest group of shelter users in the area, and 17% ofpeople using the shelter system had been in the system for more than a year.These and other details enabled them to think strategically about how to design long-termstrategies to confront the threat of homelessness. In addition to strategies to reduce povertyand create additional affordable housing, their investigation supports a shift from strategiesthat focus on emergency responses to those that support prevention responses. It alsoallows them to identify and target activities toward groups that are considered at high riskof becoming homeless.For more information, see: http://www.torontovitalsigns.com/Evaluation Sourcebook 141