Upcoming IHSA Trainings

April 16, 2010 – Director’s Quality Enrichment Circle

April 22 & 23, 2010
Outcome Based Program Planning and Evaluation

Is it enough to say that you set out to do a program and you did it, so mission accomplished? Is it enough to say you served 150 families, so therefore you had a significant impact on improving their lives? Some projects indicated program objectives like “increased trust.” Is that something that we somehow know has happened because of reported personal interactions, or is that something that has to be measured? And is it even possible to measure something like “trust”? Often it is unclear whether or not programs really had an impact on the lives of the participants.

Only within the past decade have those responsible for the governance and management of public funded programs have begun to ask themselves the sort of questions that ensures program and organizational agility and resiliency, such as: What results are we achieving? What impact have our program activities produced? How is our community a different and better place as a result of our efforts?  What difference would it have made if we had never been here?   These questions appraise the relative value of a program by focusing on results, not activities.

In this training, Head Start programs will learn how to communicate to funders the value of their programs.  Participants will be able to clearly demonstrate outcomes that articulate a logical path from outcomes back to program development, connecting internal change to program improvement and achievement.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn the difference between counting and measuring;
2. Understand the basic principles and goals of outcome based program planning and evaluation;
   
3. Learn an effective outcome based framework to help guide program planning, implementation and evaluation;
4. Learn to use outcome based evaluation as a standardized management tool for planning.

Learning Methods: Case Studies; Individual and small group practical exercises; Facilitator presentations; Discussions; and Application planning.  Pre and Post assignments facilitated online.

Training Materials:   Assessment Tools; Outcome Based Program Models; Outcome Based planning tools; Guidelines and best practices for outcome based planning and evaluation.

WHERE:	IHSA OFFICE – Training Room 3435 Liberty Drive Springfield, Illinois 62704
TIME:	9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
	Snacks and lunch will be provided.

April 30, 2010 – Family Services Quality Enrichment Circle

WHERE:	IHSA OFFICE – Training Room 3435 Liberty Drive Springfield, Illinois 62704
TIME:	9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
	Snacks and lunch will be provided. An agenda will soon follow.

 

April 30, 2010 – Health/Nutrition Quality Enrichment Circle

WHERE:	IHSA OFFICE – Training Room 3435 Liberty Drive Springfield, Illinois 62704
TIME:	9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
	Snacks and lunch will be provided. An agenda will soon follow.