Karen DeBord, Ph.D.
Child Development Specialist
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service
Copyright/Access Information
An evaluation plan is nothing more than a reporting system
so that progress is documented for funding and so the task force,
community, and decision makers can see the immediate impact of
actions, what has been accomplished, and what is yet to be accomplished.
Through evaluation, plans can be adjusted and various strategies
modified to see what works for the target audience. An evaluation
plan/reporting system should be developed during the process of
determining objectives and developing an action plan.
There are a few simple ways to develop reporting systems. Initially,
the task force should have established a central telephone number
and address for persons with requests. Staff who answer the phone
or the mail should be trained to assist and refer as necessary.
A few examples of ways to collect ongoing information which may
later be used to compile reports and figures include:
Note calls by the date, type of request, and type of person making the request (provider, parent, other) This might be kept in a notebook, a file box, or a journal. Train the person answering the phone to ask where the caller heard about the child care information service. This sort of record will assist when media campaigns are planned.
As an extension of keeping a log of calls and requests, a three-ring binder notebook, an index file, or computer spreadsheet might be maintained. This may be organized to include several sections; one for provider requests and one for parents or corporate inquiries. Note the kinds of information these groups are requesting. This could assist you in program planning and training and will also help as you plot progressive timelines later.
Using the data collected from calls and requests, plot the number of calls consecutively with the public awareness activities. This will assist you in viewing what strategies appeared to result in more requests, which programs created more interest, and what types of people were interested in the topics which were made available. This can be visually reflected in two columns or with a bar chart.
Word of mouth is a strong medium. Many people will hear about the child care efforts from other people. Additionally, having a volunteer simply clip and date the classified ads for people needing care and people providing care will begin a list of persons potentially interested in child care as a target audience. Watching the wording of ads gives clues about the impact of community awareness. In the pilot county, there was documentation to show the wording change from "babysitter" to "child care provider" to "quality child care" in a matter of months.
Using a local map, plot the provider homes and parent homes to see where gaps in care exist and where provider recruitment efforts should be increased.
In assisting providers and parents, it is important to understand
them and their needs. Developing a profile of the clientele is
important so programs and publicity can focus on these qualities.
Several ways to collect this information include:
- FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS: This is a way to collect information
from a group of people having like interests and needs (don't
mix parents with providers, for example), who, with a discussion
leader, identify issues and provide feedback to the program. If
there is no objection, tape the discussion for transcription only
and summarize comments for future reference. The leader should
have predetermined questions to pose for discussion. Encouragement
of participation by each person will make participants feel as
if they were given the opportunity to speak.
- MAILED SURVEYS: This is a way to collect information
to multiple choice questions. Remember to provide incentives for
return, deadlines, and careful wording of questions. An important
step is piloting the instrument with other community groups, or
like groups in neighboring counties, to assure clarity and to
avoid offensive questions.
- PHONE SURVEYS: This is a good way to collect information
while involving volunteers. Providers interviewing providers works
extremely well. Begin with multiple choice questions and include
some open-ended questions to allow the respondents to give valuable
information to be used for planning and recruitment. Be sure to
plan the questionnaire effectively and train the phone surveyors
in listening skills and in appropriate responses.
Small samples as well as large are helpful. For instance, survey
those providers who were unable to complete a training course,
providers who have recently ceased caring for children, parents
who have used a referral system and their satisfaction, and parents
who may need the services of before and after school care. You
may wish to note area of community where they live, number of
children, current care, difficulties, etc.
Formal and informal evaluation is an ongoing process of documentation
in all aspects of the child care program. Collecting information
on a regular basis will give the task force the ability to further
plan, compare, and measure recruitment impacts. When planning
surveys,however, do not survey the same audience too frequently.
This will lower your return rates and may create frustration in
the very group you are trying to assist.
FORMAT AVAILABLE:: Print - 122 pages
DOCUMENT REVIEW::
Level 2 - Virginia State University Extension
DOCUMENT SIZE:: 10K or 3 pages
ENTRY DATE:: February 1995
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