Training Institutes 2012 - National Technical Assistance Center for ...

TARGETED INSTITUTES
TARGETED INSTITUTE #21 9:30 AM SUNDAY • NAPLES 2-3
Data-Informed Decision Making: Strategies to Engage Community Partners in Evaluation
OBJECTIVES—Participants will learn:
1. To describe the benefits of data-informed decision making
2. To define Empowerment Evaluation and identify how it can help achieve results
3. To discuss the value of using a results-based accountability approach
4. To identify strategies used to engage community members, families, and youth in Empowerment Evaluation
5. To share challenges, benefits, and lessons learned by using the Empowerment Evaluation approach
This Targeted Institute will focus on strategies for generating evaluation information for data-based decision making in
systems of care and for engaging key community partners in evaluations. Successful evaluations are a collaborative
effort requiring buy-in and investment from multiple stakeholders including internal staff, external consultants, local
evaluators, system of care leaders, families and youth, and others. A strategic plan for strengthening collaborative
relationships is a significant component of field-based data collection efforts. Faculty will highlight successful strategies
to engage community partners in Empowerment Evaluation using a participatory approach to building community
capacity to facilitate data-informed decision making including identifying necessary collaborative relationships,
defining ways to strengthen buy-in, reviewing potential barriers to collaboration, and maintaining local investment in
the evaluation efforts during the implementation of a longitudinal study.
Using the strategies and approaches of Empowerment Evaluation as a framework, the Alameda County, California
system of care will share an example of how a local evaluation team can collaborate with community partners, families,
and youth to exceed performance expectations; address challenges and action plans; and address changing project needs.
Specific topics to be covered include:
• The key components of Empowerment Evaluation as a practical approach for defining community goals and desired
outcomes as well as building evaluation capacity
• Getting To Outcomes (GTO)®, a 10-step results-based accountability approach that offers communities a “how to”
Empowerment Evaluation framework for program planning, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement
• Strategies to engage community partners in Empowerment Evaluation using a participatory approach to building
community capacity to facilitate data-informed decision making
• How a local evaluation team can collaborate with community partners, families, and youth to exceed performance
expectations; address challenges and action plans; and address changing needs in a system of care
Participants will be encouraged to draw from their own experiences and will engage in small group activities to develop
strategies for embedding a more participatory approach to evaluation in their communities. The faculty team for the
session will offer the perspectives of an agency administrator, a community evaluator, and national evaluation technical
assistance partners.
MODERATOR/PRESENTER: Stacy Johnson, M.S.W., Senior Associate, ICF International, Portland, OR
Liz Grossman, M.P.H., Manager, National Evaluation Team, ICF International, Atlanta, GA
Margie Gutierrez-Padilla, L.C.S.W., Early Connections, Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, San
Leandro, CA
Sonja Jain, Dr.P.H., Lead Evaluator, Early Connections System of Care, Health & Human Development, Senior
Research Associate, WestEd, Health and Human Development, Oakland, CA
112 Training Institutes 2012