Challenge:
The Center for Aging Policy (CAP) received a three-year grant to fund a program to advance policies and/or regulations at the state and federal levels that would set standards for care and create job stimulation initiatives for aging-care professionals. Nearly one year into a three-year grant, CAP needed to evaluate its new advocacy program’s work and make any adjustments necessary to strengthen its program.
Solution:
grassroots solutions developed a qualitative evaluation framework and then conducted a rapid, yet thorough evaluation of the CAP program’s design, impact, and measurable accomplishments since its inception in April 2007. The evaluation included phone interviews with key stakeholders—staff, consultants, allies, coalition members, etc.—who were identified in collaboration with the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). Interview results were analyzed in conjunction with an extensive review of CAP documents and related materials, to capture immediate lessons learned. grassroots solutions also worked with NYAM to ensure that an ongoing evaluation framework could be integrated into CAP’s ongoing program plans, including evaluation benchmarks and measurements. The goal was to help CAP and its partners track relevant qualitative information that would be central to interpreting outcomes relative to plans and goals in the remaining years of the grant.
Results:
- grassroots solutions developed and presented the evaluation findings, which represented respondents’ commonly held views and consistent themes.
- The evaluation presentation also included specific recommendations for CAP to implement in the second and third years of the grant.
- The evaluation helped strengthen CAP’s program. It confirmed that CAP was on the right track, and well positioned to make the adjustments necessary to address the challenges and lessons learned inherent in transitioning from concept to implementation.