How To
Evaluate Your Adult Literacy Program In 4 Easy Steps
 |
| Adult Literacy Program Evaluation |
ABC
Life Literacy Canada: 11.16.2020 by Communications
As
a non-profit literacy organization, you’re expected to regularly report to your
board of directors, funders, service users, and other key stakeholders about
the effectiveness of your literacy program’s initiatives.
In
an industry that’s strapped for resources – both financial and human capital –
it can be challenging to make program evaluation a priority. Nonetheless, it’s
extremely important in ensuring your organization is held accountable to its
funders. Additionally, it helps to provide an understanding of the program’s
progress, success and effectiveness.
While
program evaluation can often feel overwhelming and intimidating, Kim Chung,
Co-Executive Director of Programming and Training at the Centre for Family Literacy in Edmonton,
Alberta, has welcomed it. ABC Life
Literacy Canada interviewed Chung to find out more about her best practices
for program evaluation.
“Most
people do evaluations because they have to, and there usually limited resources
to devote to it. We’re all guilty of doing the bare minimum just to get by, but
it doesn’t help that much when we look at it as just another box to tick off
our to do list.”
Before you begin your program evaluation, take time to pinpoint what exactly you will be evaluating. Will you be reviewing only one of your programs or multiple programs? When did the programs occur that you will be using for your evaluation? What specific skills are learners expecting to obtain from attending your programs?
Step #2: Use Forms and Tools to Assess Participants’
Progress
Assessing
the impact of the program on learners is one of the most important part of the
evaluation process. Determining whether learners have improved the skills you
set out to improve and met their objectives can be the difference between
getting continued funding or having your funding pulled.
Conducting and reviewing assessment interviews is one of the best ways to determine if your programs are meeting your participants’ expectations and requirements.
Step #3: Seek Insight from Program Staff
Besides the literacy program participants, the staff at your organization should also be involved in the program evaluation process. As the individuals who are promoting, coordinating and teaching the programs, they can offer valuable insight.
Step #4: Communicate Findings with Key Stakeholders
After
compiling the information from the previous three steps, it’s ready to present
to key stakeholders.
Sharing your evaluation results presents a great opportunity for you to validate your interpretation of the information collected. Based on those findings, program partners can provide input about your programs and help make decisions about your organization’s future. READ MORE ➤➤
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