SPOTLIGHT ON:
Evaluation Can Inform Strategy Improvement and Programming
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Community Science was engaged by the Andrus Family Fund to evaluate the impact of its Community Reconciliation (CR) program. The foundation was interested in knowing the value of its investments in this area, the difference that CR grantees have made with the support, and the usefulness of the support - both the funding and coaching - provided by the foundation. Given that the foundation had not conducted any evaluation of the CR program before, did not have a clear theory of change or program logic model, and had not convened the grantees for several years, Community Science advised the Andrus Family Fund to seize this opportunity to take a participatory approach and engage grantees in developing a logic model grounded in the realities and context within which they were operating - especially since community reconciliation work is complex and highly vulnerable to factors outside the grantees' control.
"As a new Executive Director, it was really important [for me] to take a look at what had been done to understand that portfolio. The Andrus Family Fund had been working in the same way for over a decade, and it was important to me that we have some objective measures to help us move the work forward. Community Science's thorough work with The Andrus Family Fund helped us streamline our process with our Community Reconciliation portfolio, and their work was key in helping us determine what types of outcomes we should be thinking of - not based on what we desired, but on the types of grants and technical assistance we were actually providing. This helped us build the foundation that eventually led to our strategic assessment and helped us identify our new direction." Leticia Peguero, Executive Director, Andrus Family Fund and Andrus Family Philanthropy Program.
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Understanding Immigrant Civic Participation
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Community Science has conducted studies on civic participation of immigrants for organizations such as the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and the Public Interest Project. The learning from the findings of these studies are important because people from all over the world resettle in the United States for various reasons and diversify - and challenge - traditional definitions of civic participation and leadership in this country. It is imperative that funders, community leaders, elected officials, program managers, researchers, evaluators, and anyone else invested in creating healthy and just communities understand how our new neighbors and citizens engage civically in order to improve outreach and communication on a wide range of issues, such as consumer rights and the Affordable Care Act. More important, this understanding is essential to bridge old and new communities and traditional and nontraditional institutions, in order to create a stronger and economically competitive nation.
Dr. Kien Lee, Vice President of Community Science, presented what was learned from these previously mentioned studies as part of the opening plenary for the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection's one-day symposium on cross-cultural communications on October 23, 2014. Click here to access the Connecticut Network (CT-N) website, and enter the symposium date to view the panel discussion. Read more to learn about the key findings from the above mentioned research.
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Senior Associate Oscar Espinosa Presents at American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Exposition
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The APHA hosted its 142nd Annual Meeting and Exposition from November 15-19 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Community Science Senior Associate Oscar Espinosa, M.A., presented at a Panel Discussion entitled, "ACA Outreach under the National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities: Results and Lessons Learned." The session focused on the opportunities and challenges faced by community based organizations, particularly those involving individuals from racial and ethnic minorities, during the initial enrollment period of the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace.
Mr. Espinosa is the project director for the effort to document and quantify the impact of outreach efforts conducted during the enrollment period. During his presentation, Mr. Espinosa described how the evaluation team developed a measurement framework and an event assessment instrument. He reviewed the procedures the team followed for supporting data collection, and presented key findings from the analyses of the event data. Click here to log into the APHA website and access recordings of the presentation. |
Staff Profile: Jasmine Williams-Washington
Jasmine Williams-Washington, M.P.A., Analyst, has five years of experience in community organizing in political campaigns as well as on advocacy issues. In addition to her experience in the community, Mrs. Williams-Washington has extensive background in both quantitative and qualitative research. Before joining Community Science, she served as a community organizer for the Mississippi Center for Justice in their health law division. Mrs. Williams-Washington still serves as an adjunct professor at Jackson State University in the Urban Studies program. At Community Science, Mrs. Williams-Washington collects and analyzes data, provides background information for project reports and proposals, and oversees basic technical tasks. She is an Atlanta Falcons fan through good times and bad, loves crawfish, and her unusual fear of fish keeps her out of aquariums!
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Happy Holidays!
To celebrate this season of giving, Community Science will donate $5 on your behalf to the charity you choose.
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Presentations and Publications
Community Science Principal Associate and Vice President Kien Lee, Ph.D. authored a chapter in the recently published textbook Community Psychology: Foundations for Practice, by Victoria C. Scott and Susan M. Wolfe. Dr. Lee's contribution is entitled Effecting Social Change in Diverse Contexts: The Role of Cross-Cultural Competency. The book is ava ilable for purchase on the SAGE Publications website.
The Center on Philanthropy & Public Policy and the Sol Price Center for Social Innovation held a national forum in December, focused on the current state of place-based initiatives that address geographically-concentrated poverty. Community Science President/CEO David M. Chavis, Ph.D. served as a panelist for Evaluation in Context, a discussion to address how place-based initiatives are being evaluated in the context of larger fo rces and long-term change. Click here to view a video of the panel discussion.
Upcoming Conferences and Events
The Evaluators' Institute January 2015 Program
January 8-20, 2015
The Marvin Center at George Washington University
Foggy Bottom Campus
Washington, DC 20052
Hosted by the American Psychological Association
January 15-16, 2015
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Join Us!
Community Science is currently recruiting for the following positions:
the Community Science CAREERS page.
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About Community Science
Community Science is an award winning research and development organization that works with governments, foundations, and non-profit organizations on solutions to social problems through community and other systems changes. To learn more, visit our PROJECTS page.
To discuss how Community Science can collaborate with your organization, contact us at 301-519-0722 or info@communityscience.com
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