A university and community partnership that built capacity through program evaluation

A community organization-university partnership was formed to complete program evaluation research to enhance the effectiveness of the organization in its efforts to improve the resiliency of families in crisis or in need of respite. Incorporating the voices of staff and former families who had the critical expertise and lived experiences with programs and evaluative tools undergirded this work. Six themes arose from focus groups and interview data that provided recommendations for leadership on the evaluative process and tools used and informed the literature review. The theoretical approach to this research highlighted program inequities and illuminated the need for more culturally safe program evaluation practices that respect diversity and inclusivity and focus on equity-building designs. Although time-consuming, front-line staff became familiar with their own program logic models, understood how they connected to their day-to-day work with children and families, and developed a sense of ownership through hands-on involvement. Importantly, logic model development was demystified. Recognizing the organization needed a less intimidating visual representation of their logic models, a one-page version was developed for each program along with fuller versions. A repository of measures developed for staff will ensure ongoing access to evidence-informed tools for updating the evaluative framework for their programs.