Presenters
Cheri Hoffman, Ph.D.; Chair, Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs; Director, Children and Youth Policy Division, Office of Human Services Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Rebecca Frazier, Ph.D., Research Associate, JBS International, Inc.
Linda Cook, Senior Program Officer, AmeriCorps State and National, CNCS
Abstract
Smaller organizations and nonprofits often lack the resources, sample sizes, and expertise to conduct rigorous evaluations. However, “bundling” smaller programs together into a single evaluation can help programs attain higher levels of evaluative evidence, more effectively utilize evaluation resources, promote organizational learning, and build evaluation capacity.
This presentation will draw on lessons learned from the CNCS’ propensity-score-matched evaluation of 19 AmeriCorps programs serving opportunity youth (16-24 year-olds who are disconnected from school or work). We will explore how grant-making organizations, such as government agencies, foundations, and non-profits, and evaluators can determine if a “bundled” evaluation approach is right for them, and share best practices for implementing this approach.