Over the last decade, data has become a big deal and is showing up more in our everyday lives and work environment. Over the past 18 months, with COVID-19, we have all been using data to track incident rates, exposure rates, deaths, and vaccination rates. Data has equipped our leaders and the public with information…
Category Archives: Evaluation
An Equitable Approach to Preparing Students for College & Beyond
Did you know that Indiana’s college going rate is at its lowest point in more than 10 years? According to the 2021 Indiana College Readiness Report, the state’s college going rate has steadily declined since 2015. Black and Latino students have the lowest college going rates. Recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse shows the…
5 Steps to Create Interactive Mapping Tools
You hear us say regularly that we’re big #datanerds at Transform Consulting Group. We have many blogs with tips on using and visualizing data, including why we love interactive dashboards. Now we are taking it to the next level and sharing how to enhance your dashboard with interactive mapping functions. We recently completed projects with…
Update: Our Go-To Sources for Getting Data
Whether you are working on a needs assessment, evaluating a program, or starting a new project, reliable data is important to help make smart choices. In our digital age, comprehensive data is available at our fingertips. Endless search options are accessible, but it can be overwhelming. Have you spent hours filtering through links and data…
Getting to the Big Picture: Logic Models
Many nonprofits face the challenge of turning their “big picture” ideas into successful and effective programs. For example, developing and implementing a statewide child welfare data information system to improve the lives of children is no small task. A large-scale project requires a plan of action in order to be successful and effective. Lasting change…
4 Steps to Complete a Feasibility Study
Too often non-profits and government agencies immediately begin implementing a new program or service area. They see a need with their clients or a gap in the existing services, so they elect to help meet that need. This all sounds good, right? The challenge is that there has not been enough time to complete a…
Responding to COVID-19: How to Adjust Your Data Management Plan
The COVID-19 public health crisis changed the way most of us do our work. Many of our clients, especially those who are school-based or operate afterschool programs, faced the challenge of ending their school-year programming unexpectedly. Programs are trying to find new ways to engage youth virtually and are planning for new safety restrictions for…
3 Tips to Plan Your New Program Before You Launch It
Too often we see organizations excited about receiving a new grant or starting a new program, and they jump in head first to implementation without enough planning. In this blog, we share a program planning and evaluation tool we use called the “PDSA” framework, which stands for Plan-Do-Study-Act. Have you ever started a new project…
Using Performance Indicators to Drive Impact
If you’re a Head Start organization, then you know there are several reports and check-ins required throughout the year. One mandatory item is to complete an annual performance indicator report (PIR) which includes a comprehensive list of data related to programs and services. After pulling together all of the information necessary, how many Head Start…
4 Steps to Establish Evaluation SOPs
An evaluation plan is a roadmap to help organizations validate the impact of their work. In this past blog post, we describe our four-step evaluation process. Step 2 of this process involves creating or modifying data tools and systems. When establishing evaluation systems, it is important to create standard operating procedures, or SOPs. An SOP is a…