Assignment 5.1

Program Evaluation

Institutional Affiliation

Insert the student’s name

Instructor’s name

Course

Date

Introduction

Evaluation of the program is usually done to in order to determine the quality of the program, how effective the program is and how the program is performing. This can help to know if the program is making a significant difference among the targeted people. It can also assist to know if the program is functioning or not. This paper therefore seeks to evaluate the program which is assisting the homeless people within the community.

The two program evaluation questions are: what is the reach of the program? And what has been the impact of the program on the homeless people? The answers to these questions would elicit both qualitative and quantitative results. Therefore, the program evaluation will require both quantitative and qualitative data collection plan. This is because the use of mixed-method approach is convenient since the results and findings would be reliable (Creswell, 2017). After identifying the evaluation program questions, the next step will be to come up with plan of evaluating a program. The plan should consist of methods of collecting data, evidences, the person responsible and the duration.

Program Evaluation Question	Evidence	Methods and sources of collecting data	Person in charge	Duration
1. What is the reach of the program?	Number of building materials distributed	Records of the program	Robert	One month
2. What has been the impact of the program on the homeless people?	Number of people resettled Number of people not yet resettled	Community leaders Program coordinators Homeless people	John	One Month

After coming up with the plan, the instruments of data collection should be identified. These include: questionnaires, reviewing existing program records, interviews and observations. The use of these multiple instruments of collecting data is to ensure that the findings are reliable and valid. The data collected from different sources can allow for comparison of the findings.

The key determinant of finding accurate program evaluation results lies with the approach used to answer the program evaluation questions. This important because the wrong approach used may not answer effectively the program evaluation questions. (McCusker & Gunaydin, 2015) compares the quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches in program evaluation. The best approach is the one which combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches since it enables the program evaluator to obtain data from different many sources.

The next step is to plan for analysis of findings after collecting the data. The qualitative results from the respondents will be analyzed so as to know the major arguments of the respondents. This is based on the responses during surveys and the responses filled in the questionnaires. In order to get the qualitative results, different responses will be statistically analyzed. This involves calculation of mean and percentages. Other statistical manipulation such as regression and variance analysis will be done. This can be done in order to determine the effect of one variable on another variable. Results will also be computed. The final step of program evaluation will be to interpret the quantitative and qualitative results. The results will then be interpreted to determine whether it answered the program evaluation questions.

Conclusion

Program evaluation is an important activity that is undertaken to know whether the human services program is achieving its objectives or not. In order for the process to be meaningful, it should adopt an effective program evaluation approach. This will ensures that the process is successful the program evaluated. As indicated above, the program evaluators should apply the best approach during the evaluation.

References

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017), Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches: Sage publications

McCusker, K., & Gunaydin, S. (2015). Research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods and choice based on the research. Perfusion, 30(7), 537-542.