Improving evaluation capacity among community organizations engaged in violence prevention work

Background/Purpose: In recent years, significant reductions in funding and support for community-based organizations engaged in violence prevention work has created a need for these organizations to conduct evaluation as a way to monitor their work and to better position themselves when applying for funding. In July 2007, the Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center (SCIPRC) at the UCLA School of Public Health began offering multi-day evaluation workshops to community-based organizations affiliated with the Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles. The goal of the workshops was to increase participants' knowledge and self-efficacy for conducting program evaluations. Participants were guided through the process of developing an evaluation plan for their proposed/current program. After conducting the workshops, the SCIPRC administered a survey to assess the usefulness of the workshops in helping participants develop an evaluation plan and prepare grant proposals. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered to all participants 2-24 months after their completion of the workshops. Responses from the survey were collected in May and June 2009 and analysis of the data was completed in July 2009. Results/Outcomes: The follow-up study achieved a 67% response rate. In total, 52 participants filled out the online questionnaire. 44% of respondents (n=23) have developed an evaluation plan since completing the workshops. 50% of respondents (n=26) stated that information provided in the workshops helped them prepare a grant proposal. Conclusions: The multi-day program evaluation workshops helped participants from community-based organizations prepare grant proposals and develop evaluation plans for their programs.