I need to identify technical and political aspects of program planning and evaluation that you might encounter in the program scenario you chose, and explain how these aspects could affect your planning and evaluation process.
My scenario is this: PEACE's Domestic violence agency:
Organization Mission is to reduce wictim trauma, empower survivors, and promote recovery through direct services. PEACE is committed to reducingthe incidence of sexual assault and domestic violence through education and strives to challenge societal norms,and beliefs that condone and perpetuate violence in the community. The city of Portland is similar to many other communities throughout the country. As a large metropolitan city, the region has experienced increasing reports of domestic andyouth violence, spousal and child abuse, assault and incidents of rad rage over the last 5 years. The funding opportunity is the National Foundation's funding program. Supporting Families, strives to fulfill the following objectives
1. Promote the well-being of young men, women and children whose lives have been affected by domestic violence, and to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence through increased service provision , education, and awareness. 2. Improve the quality of life of families with a member or members in prison, through the provision of services responsive to their needs. 3. Provide young people who are or have been involved with the criminal justice system with a rehabilitation program designed to obtain the skills, confidence, and personal support networks to enable them to lead fulfilled and successful lives. The foundation has two grant programs under which it provides funding to nonprofits: The Small Grants Program offers one-time grants of up to $5,000 to registered charities with an annual budget under $500,000. The Investor Program is an innovative funding program designed to support six organizations under each of the objectives of the Supporting Families program with up to $150,000 a year for up to 3 years.
Please give me some ideas as to how to compare program planning with program evaluation in human services organizations.
Planning is what you do as you set up a program and revise it as you go along.
Evaluation is what you do during and after the program to assess its effectiveness.
In comparing program planning with program evaluation in human services organizations, there are both technical and political aspects that need to be considered. Here are some ideas on how these aspects could affect the planning and evaluation process in the scenario you provided:
Technical Aspects:
1. Goal setting: During program planning, the organization needs to clearly define their goals and objectives, such as reducing domestic violence, promoting survivor empowerment, and challenging societal norms. These goals will guide the implementation of the program. In program evaluation, the technical aspect would be to assess how effectively the program is achieving these goals and if any adjustments are needed.
2. Service provision: In program planning, the organization needs to outline the specific services they will provide to survivors, young people, and families affected by domestic violence. This includes determining the scope and types of services, staffing needs, and resource allocation. In program evaluation, the technical aspect would involve assessing the quality and effectiveness of these services, analyzing service utilization, and identifying any gaps or areas for improvement.
3. Data collection: Program planning involves establishing mechanisms for collecting relevant data on demographics, service utilization, and outcomes. This includes identifying suitable data collection tools, establishing data management systems, and ensuring data privacy and security. In program evaluation, the technical aspect would involve analyzing the collected data to assess program impact, identifying trends, and making data-driven decisions for program improvement.
Political Aspects:
1. Stakeholder involvement: Both program planning and evaluation require the involvement of various stakeholders, such as survivors, community members, staff, funders, and policymakers. However, managing the diverse interests and perspectives of these stakeholders can be challenging. Political aspects come into play as different stakeholders may have different priorities, influencing decision-making and resource allocation.
2. Funding considerations: In program planning, obtaining funding is crucial for implementing the program. The organization needs to align their goals and objectives with the funding opportunity, in this case, the National Foundation's funding program. Political aspects arise here as securing funding often involves navigating through a competitive grant application process and addressing funders' requirements and priorities.
3. Policy and advocacy: The organization's mission to challenge societal norms and beliefs that perpetuate violence involves political aspects. Program planning would include strategies for policy advocacy, community awareness campaigns, and partnerships with other organizations. In program evaluation, the political aspect would involve assessing the impact of these advocacy efforts and their influence on policy changes or community perceptions.
To compare program planning with program evaluation in human services organizations, it is important to recognize that planning is the process of designing and implementing interventions to achieve specific goals, while evaluation focuses on assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of those interventions. The two processes are interconnected, as planning informs evaluation by setting the program's objectives, while evaluation provides insights to improve future planning efforts. Both processes require attention to technical aspects, such as goal setting, service provision, and data collection, as well as political aspects, such as stakeholder involvement, funding considerations, and policy and advocacy efforts. By considering these aspects in a comprehensive manner, human services organizations can develop and evaluate programs that effectively address the needs of the community they serve.