Purpose: This project will give students the experience of designing a program evaluation. Students will apply the knowledge and skills gained in this class to make decisions about research questions, evaluation type, study design and methods, data collection plans, how to disseminate potential findings, and provide recommendations supported by the findings. The project will culminate with a written evaluation and a presentation to the class. NOTE: This is a proposal—you are not conducting an actual study. Picking Your Program/Agency: Pick a program/agency to be the subject of your evaluation proposal. This could be, but does not have to be, a place where you currently/formerly intern, work, or volunteer. In either case, you will use websites and publicly available reports to learn about the program. You may talk with someone at the agency to gather details about the program and information about if/how evaluation has been used in the agency/program in the past. If you do talk with someone from the agency/program, it is imperative that you make it clear that this project is simply a proposal and not a study you are asking to conduct. This option is most appropriate if using an agency where you work/intern. Guidelines for the Written Proposal: Your proposal should be organized into the following sections. The bullet points below each section are just guides (not requirements) for the information expected in each section. The specific details of what is included in each section will vary based on the type of evaluation you are proposing. Statement of the Problem (3 points) What community/social problem or need is the program addressing? Describe what is known about the problem using peer-reviewed literature and publicly available data, such as county, state, or federal government sources. Describe the problem, if possible, for the program’s catchment area – i.e., if the program serves Tarrant County, use data at the county level (if available) to describe the problem. Describe the Agency and its Program (3 points) What kind of agency is it, and what is its history? What geographic area does it serve? What kinds of services does it offer, and to what client groups? What service or program is the focus of your evaluation? How is that service/program delivered, and to whom? Literature Review (5 points) A literature review is a summary of previous research relevant to your evaluation. Your literature review should rely on 5-10 peer-reviewed journal articles found through Google Scholar and UTA's library databases. The information included in your literature review will vary depending on the kind of evaluation you are proposing. Evaluation Design and Methods (8 points) What kind of evaluation are you doing? If combining types, be clear about that and have research questions relevant to each type. What research question(s) is your evaluation designed to answer? Describe in detail how you will conduct the evaluation. Are you using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods? What data will you collect, from whom, how, and how often? Will this include public data sources, such as census or county data? Will this include data you need to request from the agency, such as case notes or administrative records? Will you need a sampling plan? What will it be? Strengths and Limitations (3 points) What are the strengths of your study design? What makes it an appropriate approach for answering your research questions? Will the data you are collecting/using be sufficient to answer your research questions? What threats are you concerned about, and how (if possible) will you address them? What are the limitations of your study design? What will it NOT be able to tell you? Dissemination (2 points) Who will be interested in your study findings? How will you share your findings? Be creative. Consider dissemination strategies, such as written reports, fact sheets, press releases, social media campaigns, infographics, presentations, videos, etc. Implications (3 points) What is the value of this study? How might the program use its findings? Provide recommendation(s) supported by possible data outcomes. References and Overall Quality (3 points) Your proposal should be well organized, clearly presented, and professionally written. A title page and reference list following current APA guidelines must be included. Guidelines Logistics/Submission Format - Submit your assignment in a Microsoft Word document. Papers should be 10-12 pages using 12-pt Times New Roman font, double-spacing, and 1-inch margins. The title page, in-text citations, and reference list must adhere to APA 7th edition standards. The title page and reference list do not count towards page length. Evaluation Criteria - Refer to the rubric and the description above for grading and point allocation. Students enrolled in UT Arlington courses must adhere to the UT Arlington Academic Integrity policies. Support How to Submit Assignments How to View an Assignment Rubric How to View Assignment Comments and Rubric Results