Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do.
Required Reading
Dudley, J. R. (2020). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do. Oxford University Press, USA.
Respond to both colleagues in the attached documents
1. Colleague Ebony
2. Colleague Rhonda
Respond to each separately
Respond to at least two colleagues’ improvements to the process evaluation report in the Social Work Research Qualitative Groups case study by doing the following:
· Explain how your colleagues’ reports improved upon that of the case study.
· Suggest further improvements.
Note: Also look at their References to understand the program they chose
APA format and in-text citations and references
Colleague: Ebony
Description of the process evaluation that you chose and explain why you selected this example
The process evaluation I chose is “implementing the intervention as proposed.” The Example of an Overlooked Target Group on page 173 is about a Head Start program that was concerned about the needs of local children and families. This group wanted to make sure those with limited resources were the top priority. However after looking further many concerns were raised and almost all the children and families in this program had many resources and had modest incomes. They were not the target group this program was designed for. I chose this evaluation process because it is important to follow the clear description of the program in order to get the best results.
Describe the stage of program implementation in which the evaluation occurred, the informants, the questions asked, and the results.
According to Dudley (2014), provision of a detailed description of an intervention as it is supposed to be implemented is a first step in this kind of intervention (pg 173). We need a clear description of the program in order to understand how to monitor it and evaluate it to make sure it is being implemented appropriately and making improvements. The informants would be families attending the Head Start, reviewing their case file, administrative records, and staff members. Questions asked would include but not limited to; “are the clients being served the ones proposed or intended to be served?” or “Is the program at its anticipated stage of development?” or “Are the program’s goals and objectives evident or identifiable in the way in which the program is implemented?” The result of the example was a class action lawsuit was issued against the Head Start program. The ruling was the Head Start program was mandated to to reserve a percentage of their openings to the neediest group of families. Asking these questions early on will help a program get back on track before it gets to the point of a lawsuit.
Based upon your comparison of the case study and the program evaluation report that you chose, improve upon the information presented in the case study by identifying gaps in information
After reading Social Work Research: Qualitative Groups case study, a gap in information I found is that the case study was vague in what they were trying to do with the information they gathered. They did a great job acquiring diversity among genders and ethnicities for a well rounded perspective.
Fill in these gaps as if you were the facilitator of the focus group
The focus group was conducted to explore the application of a cross-system collaboration and its effect on service delivery outcomes among social services agencies. To fill in gaps as a facilitator I would identify short and long term goals. How can a focus group be deemed successful if we are unaware of the individuals goals and what they plan to get out of the group. In order to make sure the group is working, clear and precise questionnaires or surveys need to be offered to each participant. At the end of the group, asking each participant what their take away from the group was would also give the facilitator an idea of what information the group members are holding onto.
References
Dudley, J. R. (2014). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do. (2nd ed.) Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books.
Plummer, S.-B, Makris S., Brocksen, S. (Eds.) (2014b). Social work case studies: Concentration year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
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