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#All4Evidence

December 14, 2016 by Social Policy Research Associates
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Determining “what works” in social policy is at the heart of SPR’s work. Evidence—as uncovered through evaluation—is critical to improving policies and programs designed to help those most in need. To share our perspective on the importance of evidence-based policymaking and learn from others in the field, SPR recently participated in the #All4Evidence Twitter chat. Continue reading →

Top Lessons for Conducting Needs Assessments in Migrant Education Programs (MEP)

October 24, 2016 by Eduardo Ortiz
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By Sengsouvanh (Sukey) Leshnick and Hannah Diaz from Social Policy Research Associates What Is a Needs Assessment? A needs assessment is a thorough examination of the needs, interests, and objectives of a program. Information collected through a needs assessment can inform and drive decisions about program design and planning. Results from a needs assessment can help program planners gain critical insight into what program participants and communities need and can also help identify any gaps in services. What Are Migrant Education Programs? Migrant Education Programs Continue reading →

Join Us at AEA 2016!

October 24, 2016 by Eduardo Ortiz
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Join  SPR at the 2016 American Evaluation Association Conference! This year, SPR will be hosting presentations on collaboration between internal and external evaluators and capturing a powerful theory of change for field-building. This year’s AEA conference looks at the design governing all aspects of evaluation and fosters conversation about how evaluators can use design to make the world a better place. For more information, please check out our sessions listed below. 2697: Who Does What? Best Practices for Collaboration Between Internal and External Evaluators Oct 27, 2016 (01:00 Continue reading →

Helping Our Clients Ensure Data Quality

August 2, 2016 by SPR
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This blog was written by Hannah Betesh of Social Policy Research Associates. Ensuring high-quality data is essential for program evaluation. Information about who programs serve and what kinds of services participants access makes it possible for SPR to provide insightful analysis—and to help our clients improve their programs. How can programs ensure high-quality data to support both our evaluation and their own program planning? One client, a foundation that has made a substantial investment in creating and maintaining a services database to track outcomes for its Continue reading →

Learning to Work in 2016

August 2, 2016 by SPR
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This blog was written by Kristin Wolff of Social Policy Research Associates and Mary V.L. Wright of Jobs for the Future. If you are in the workforce development business, you can hardly get through a day without encountering a crisis-laden reference to the “skills gap.” Sometimes the term refers to an absence of the technical skills employers expect of their workers, and sometimes to workers’ lack of familiarity with knowledge important to their industry or profession. But most often, it refers to the absence of the Continue reading →

From Required Job Search to Voluntary Skill Building: The Evolution and Future of the SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Program

July 19, 2016 by SPR
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This blog was written by Debbie Kogan of Social Policy Research Associates. More than one in eight people – some 45 million – receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Once called “food stamps,” SNAP is a key part of America’s social safety net. Most SNAP recipients are exempt from the program’s work effort requirements, either because they are already working at least twenty hours a week in low-wage jobs or are not required to work because they are younger than Continue reading →

Foundation Exits from Large-Scale Initiatives: Is a Graceful Exit Possible?

May 19, 2016 by SPR
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This blog was written by Hanh Cao Yu and Daniela Berman of Social Policy Research Associates. Exiting from specific grants and grantee relationships is an inevitable part of philanthropy. Yet the process is too often treated as an afterthought: funders often devote far too little time to planning and working through the tensions and issues that arise. The process becomes even more complex when the exit is not just from one grant or program, but from a large, multiyear, place-based, policy/systems change initiative. This question of Continue reading →

Planned Versus Actual: Lessons Learned in Assessing Fidelity to a Program Model

May 6, 2016 by Eduardo Ortiz
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This blog was written by Heather Lewis-Charp and Antoinnae Comeaux of Social Policy Research Associates. As education and workforce development programs become more focused on accountability, education and workforce development funders and stakeholders increasingly want evaluations that will rigorously assess program outcomes across different locations and different types of organizations. Given how diverse implementation may be across sites, how can evaluators measure this variation and understand how it impacts outcomes? One option is to assess program fidelity, or the degree to which a program is Continue reading →

Eight Lessons for Foundations Interested in Building the Capacity of Nonprofits

December 2, 2015 by SPR
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How does an organization become healthier and stronger? Many foundations are interested in the answer to this question so that—through capacity-building grants and other support—their grantees can become more effective in realizing their larger goals and mission. Following are some key lessons and reflections from SPR’s organizational effectiveness studies conducted for philanthropic clients. Devote adequate support for implementation and follow-up. A top priority area for both grantees and foundation staff is devoting sufficient support—in the form of additional funds and time—for the critical implementation stage Continue reading →

Join Us at AEA 2015!

November 13, 2015 by Social Policy Research Associates
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Join  SPR at the 2015 American Evaluation Association Conference! This year, SPR will be hosting 8 presentations ranging from cultural competence in evaluation to utilizing social network analysis to assess equity networks. For more information, please check out our announcement. Sessions are also listed below.   1310:Assessing Program Fidelity in Education and Workforce Programs: Tools and Lessons Learned Thu, Nov 12, 2015 (07:00 AM – 07:45 AM) Heather Lewis-Charp [Senior Associate – Social Policy Research Associates] Antoinnae Comeaux [Associate – Social Policy Research Associates]   2672:Fostering Cultural Continue reading →