There are gender wars, and then there are casualties. It wasn’t until 2011 that the behemoth toymaker LEGO acknowledged girls’ desire to build with bricks, even though the company had long before made a seemingly effortless pivot to co-branding, video games, and major motion pictures. So it’s little wonder that girls face all-too-real obstacles when […]
Read moreCategory: Research
Author: Patrick Parnaby Using a variety of evaluation techniques can reveal hidden truths about your program. Evaluation isn’t helpful unless you measure the right things. Problem You’ve implemented the feedback from your focus groups, but your project is still failing. You are confused because test users say your program is great, but no one is
Author: Patrick Parnaby Developing program objectives begins with knowing your target audience. Focus groups can give you information about the programs and products your audience needs. These penguins didn’t respond well to “101 Ways to Use Palm Fronds,” but were keen on “Iceberg Fishing Techniques.” Problem You want to be sure people are in need
Author: Patrick Parnaby Collecting and analyzing survey data is easier with technological tools. When measuring the effectiveness of a program, surveys have a number of advantages. Problem You want to use surveys to determine if your project is effective in changing attitudes or behaviors, but traditional options for survey data collection are expensive, hard to
Funding Difficulties
April 1st, 2006 by IDEA
Author: Patrick Parnaby Incorporating technological tools into evaluation plans can please funders. Your funders will want you to look at your project from many angles. Providing them with a sound evaluation plan gives funders the assurance they need. Problem Your project wasn’t able to secure funding because your evaluation plan was “weak.” Solution Develop a
Author: Patrick Parnaby Implementing the right evaluation plan can guide your project to success. To begin, you need to ask the right questions. The taste of this donut is more important than its diameter. Problem You need to know whether your program is meeting your target audience’s needs. Solution Develop and implement an evaluation plan.
Improving program evaluation can pave the way for superior results and increased funding. It is important to reflect on your project from the very beginning It’s difficult to know whether or not a program works if your method of evaluation isn’t reliable or valid. A poor method of evaluation can, and often will, lead to