Designing A Plan For Outcome Evaluation

Designing a Plan for Outcome Evaluation

Social workers can apply knowledge and skills learned from conducting one type of evaluation to others. Moreover, evaluations themselves can inform and complement each other throughout the life of a program. This week, you apply all that you have learned about program evaluation throughout this course to aid you in program evaluation. To prepare for this Assignment, review “Basic Guide to Program Evaluation (Including Outcomes Evaluation)” from this week’s resources, Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Retrieved from, especially the sections titled “Outcomes-Based Evaluation” and “Contents of an Evaluation Plan.” Then, select a program that you would like to evaluate. You should build on work that you have done in previous assignments but be sure to self-cite any written work that you have already submitted. Complete as many areas of the “Contents of an Evaluation Plan” as possible, leaving out items that assume you have already collected and analyzed the data.

Submit a 4- to 5-page paper that outlines a plan for a program evaluation focused on outcomes. Be specific and elaborate. Include the following information:

• The purpose of the evaluation, including specific questions to be answered
• The outcomes to be evaluated
• The indicators or instruments to be used to measure those outcomes, including the strengths and limitations of those measures to be used to evaluate the outcomes
• A rationale for selecting among the six group research designs
• The methods for collecting, organizing and analyzing data

Paper For Above instruction

The purpose of this evaluation is to examine the effectiveness of a newly implemented foster parent training program in a large nonprofit child welfare organization, with the goal of determining whether this program improves foster care outcomes, reduces placement disruptions, and enhances child well-being. The evaluation aims to answer specific questions such as: Does participation in the new training program lead to fewer foster placement disruptions? Does it improve the quality of services delivered by foster families? And, does it positively impact child well-being indicators? These questions will guide the data collection and analysis processes, providing insights into the program’s effectiveness and areas for improvement.

The primary outcomes to be evaluated include foster placement stability, foster parent competency, and child well-being. Placement stability is critical as it reflects a foster family’s ability to maintain consistent placements without disruptions. Foster parent competency involves assessing knowledge, skills, and confidence levels gained through training, which influence their caregiving quality. Child well-being will be measured through standardized assessments addressing behavioral, emotional, and developmental domains, providing a comprehensive view of children's adjustment and safety within foster homes.

To measure these outcomes, various indicators and instruments will be employed. For assessing foster placement stability, data on the number and duration of placements before and after training will be collected from administrative records. Foster parent competency will be evaluated using pre- and post-training self-report Likert scales and instructor assessments to gauge knowledge and confidence levels. Child well-being will be measured through validated instruments such as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and developmental screening tools administered at baseline and follow-up points. The combination of administrative data, self-report measures, and standardized assessments provides a multifaceted approach to outcome evaluation, with strengths including triangulation of data sources, while limitations include potential response biases and data collection challenges.

An appropriate research design for this program evaluation is a non-randomized, controlled group comparison design. Since the organization’s seven regional centers are willing participants and start the training at different times, this quasi-experimental design allows for comparison between the intervention group (centers with immediate training) and the comparison group (centers awaiting training). This design helps establish causality while accommodating ethical and practical considerations where withholding training entirely may be problematic. Randomized controlled trials are less feasible due to organizational constraints and the need for swift implementation.

Data collection will involve obtaining administrative data on placements, conducting pre- and post-training surveys and assessments with foster parents, and administering child well-being instruments at specified intervals. Data organization will be managed through spreadsheets and statistical software like SPSS or SAS to facilitate analysis. Analytical methods will include descriptive statistics to characterize changes over time, paired t-tests or repeated measures ANOVA to examine pre-post differences within groups, and independent t-tests or ANCOVA for between-group comparisons. Qualitative data from open-ended survey questions may be analyzed thematically to identify contextual factors influencing outcomes. The integration of quantitative and qualitative analyses will enhance the comprehensiveness of the evaluation findings.

In conclusion, this evaluation plan provides a systematic approach to assess the impact of the new foster parent training program on key outcomes. By carefully selecting measurement tools, employing a suitable research design, and applying rigorous analysis methods, the evaluation will generate valuable insights to inform program improvement and demonstrate accountability to stakeholders.

References

• Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing.
• Kennedy, C. H. (2005). Single-case designs for educational research. Allyn & Bacon.
• Yin, R. K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods. Sage Publications.
• Patton, M. Q. (2008). Utilization-focused evaluation. Sage Publications.
• Fitzpatrick, J. L., Sanders, J. R., & Worthen, B. R. (2011). Program evaluation: Alternatives, need, and utilization. Pearson Higher Ed.
• Rossi, P. H., Lipsey, M. W., & Freeman, H. E. (2004). Evaluation: A systematic approach. Sage Publications.
• Babbie, E. (2010). The practice of social research. Cengage Learning.
• Gerring, J. (2007). Case study research: Principles and practices. Cambridge University Press.
• Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.
• Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 165-179.