Process evaluation is focused on the implementation of a program. There are three main components to a process evaluation and they are…

1. Program description
2. Program monitoring
3. Quality assurance

We will now look at each of these individually.

Program Description

Program description is about documentation for replication. In other words, a program description is used to determine the operational steps of a program if someone else wants to implement the same program. The main challenge of program description is determining what data to find and use. Data can come from clients, staff, program activities, meetings, etc. All of this data has to be organized to explain what the program does and how it does it.

There are some generally recommended steps for this as outlined below.

1. Determine what the program leaders are interested in knowing. This provides a working framework for shaping the data that is collected
2. Develop a plan for collecting data
3. Determine stakeholders to interview. These are the people who provide qualitative data about the program.
4. Develop surveys based on step 3. The survey allows you to reach many stakeholders using quantitative means.
5. Conduct the interviews and issue the surveys
6. Examine any documents about the program
7. Analyze all information
8. Share results.

The steps above will allow you to determine what to collect and how to collect it to describe a program.

Program Monitoring

Program monitoring is used to determine what happens within a program and who it happens to. The focus on what happened and to who is to make sure that a program stays focused on its mission and does not wander away from it. Over time, there are changes to a program in terms of the staff, and resources are often reshuffled as other problems arise. This leads to a program losing focus and not staying committed to its original mission.

To prevent a loss of focus program monitoring involves determining what events and activities within a program should be counted. Below are some examples of events and activities that could be counted in many programs.

1. Number of clients served
2. Number of new clients served
3. Number of counseling sessions provided.
   

As these metrics are gathered it can be determined if the program is staying focused. If these numbers begin to change it will be possible to question and explain why this is happening. For example, the number of clients served may drop due to people moving out of the area. This may lead to the program being shut down or to a change in the demographic of those who are being supported by the program.

Determining what to count can often be decided by looking at the mission, goals, and objectives of a program. The mission is the overarching purpose of a program. The goals are unmeasurable ideas of what the program wants to achieve. The objectives are measurable actions the program takes to achieve its goals.

Quality Assurance

Program monitoring is great for figuring out what is happening but it does not explain how well things are happening. For this reason, we need quality assurance. Quality assurance compares the metrics of the program to an external standard. By doing this, it is possible to determine how well the program is doing.

An example would be for a program that supports juvenile offenders the standard may be to make sure that repeat offenders of crime do not exceed 10% of the participants in the program. The 10% value is the standard. If the program stays below this value it would be considered a good program. However, if the program exceeds 10% of repeat offenders then it would be necessary to determine what types of support and adjustments are needed for the program to meet this standard.

These standards are often set by outside authorities such as accreditation agencies and or the government. Sometimes even the funders of the program will have standards. This is often the case when working with government funding.

Conclusion

Process evaluation is a key component of program evaluation. It allows a team to see the immediate actions of a program in terms of measurable metrics. This analysis can help to document a program, determine if it is on the right path, and assess the quality of the program.

In program evaluation, goals, objectives, and the evaluation process work together to provide a team with insights into the success of a program. In this post, we will look at the synergy between these concepts and how they help evaluators of programs.

Goals & Objectives

Goals are long-term ideas that provide a general sense of direction for a program. Usually, goals are not measurable or achievable but rather serve an inspirational purpose in shaping the direction of a program. An example of a goal for a project might be

Increase the degree of reading comprehension among young children in north Texas

The goal above is a goal because it lacks the details of knowing when this goal is achieved. What does “degree” mean or how much “increase” is necessary? How are “young children” defined? How much time does the program have to achieve any of this? All of these questions and more are addressed when developing objectives.

Objectives are short-term, measurable, achievable, and set guidelines for the type of intervention that a program will provide. Objectives provide the details that are missing from goals. There are different acronyms for developing objectives such as SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound). Another format for objectives that is used in curriculum development is action, condition, and proficiency. Below is an example of an objective that is derived from the example goal mentioned earlier.

By the end of the semester, minority students in the 5th grade class will improve their reading comprehension one grade level through using the reading lab software.

The objective above specifies a clear context (End of semester, 5th-grade minority students). The objective also provides the action or what the students will be doing (using reading software). Lastly, there is a clear sense of knowing when success takes place (one grade-level improvement in reading comprehension). It is also important to show that this objective is linked to the original goal of increasing reading comprehension.

Types of Objectives

Within program evaluation, three types of objectives can be developed. These are process, outcome, and impact objectives.

Process objectives define which activities will be carried out during a program. Process objectives provide evidence that the program did what it planned to do. An example is below.

Enroll all minority students into the reading lab be the end of the first month of school.

It may seem silly to make such an objective but doing so helps to keep the program on track and to make interventions if the objectives are not achieved in the timeline that was set.

Outcome objectives measure the results of an intervention and answer the question “How well did we do?” Below is an example

By the end of the semester, 90% of the minority students in the 5th grade class will improve their reading comprehension one grade level through using the reading lab software.

The objective above is similar to others but now it has a clear metric for success stipulating the 90% threshold. This objective value helps to determine how well the program did in helping the students.

The last type of objective used in program evaluation is the impact objective. This objective measures the collective results of an intervention and answers the question “So what?” Below is an example.

At the end of the semester, the students will share what they think of the reading program

The objective above is one way in which the overall impact of the program can be assessed by determining what the target population thinks of the intervention.

Evaluation plan

The evaluation plan is linked with the objectives. The evaluation plan assesses the achievement of the program through the use of the results of the objectives. Just as there are three types of objectives there are also three types of data that are collected for an evaluation and these are process, outcome, and impact data.

Process data is documentation of the implementation of the strategies of the program and assesses what happened. Examples of process data can include a spreadsheet showing the number of kids who were enrolled in the reading lab. Such documentation shows that the process of enrolling the kids was completed.

Outcome data is a measure of the success or failure of a program. An example of outcome data would be a spreadsheet showing how many kids were able to improve one grade level in their reading comprehension from the use of the reading lab.

Lastly, impact data is data for the impact objective. An example would be the results of the survey that measures students’ opinions of the reading lab.

Conclusion

What was learned here was the cooperation that needs to take place between goals, objectives, and the evaluation process. When these concepts are working together it can benefit all stakeholders of a particular program.

One of the first steps in program development is assessing needs. When the team is aware of the needs of a target population they can develop programs that meet those needs. In this post, we will look at the different types of needs that are found and also look at the types of needs assessments that can be performed.

Types of Needs

Normative needs are needs that exist because the conditions people are experiencing are below what is considered acceptable. An example of this would be how in most parts of the US living without a car is considered unacceptable. The reason behind not having a car is a normative need is because owning a car is almost a given and an expectation.

Felt needs are needs that are based not on societal norms like normative needs but rather on personal needs. If owning a car is a normative need in the US a felt need would be a large family needing a large car rather than a small one. If the family received a small car it would help but it might not be possible for everyone to ride in the car at the same time. The normative need is met but the felt need of a larger car is unmet.

Expressed needs are the ways and methods people use to fulfill their needs. For example, if a family needs a car they might save some money and apply for a car loan when trying to purchase a car. Such an effort as this will help to address the need for a car.

Comparative needs are needs in which a person’s situation is worse than other people on average. People who live in poverty are more likely to not have access to a car which indicates a comparative need for transportation compared to middle and upper-class individuals.

Needs Assessment Types

In addition to types of needs, there are also different types of needs assessments. Sometimes needs are assessed through talking to key informants. These are individuals with unique knowledge of the context in which the program is going to be placed.

The social indicators approach uses statistical data to develop insights into the target population. Often the data is demographic and involves a large amount of descriptive statistics.

The community forum assessment uses a town hall approach to collecting information about needs in the local community. People come to the town hall and provide the program leaders with needed data for the development of the program.

The community survey approach involves quantitative and qualitative data collection from the target population for developing contextual knowledge. How this is different from other approaches is that the grant team collects primary data scientifically rather than looking at secondary data or informal non-scientific data collection that is used in other approaches.

A Focus group is a group of people who get together with a researcher to share information about a topic. The dynamics of a small group can often elicit responses that may not happen in other settings.

The rates-under-treatment approach is used to predict service needs in the future. This often involves looking at the documentation to assess the current use of resources and identifying trends.

Conclusion

Any combination of needs and needs assessments can be experienced or felt. People might have several types of needs and a team can use several combinations of needs assessments. The point here is to be familiar with the available tools

Program planning is a a crucial step in the grant proposal process. In the book “Practical Grant Writing and Program Evaluation” by Yuen and Terao, they have this interesting equation for developing program as shown below.

P² = w⁵ x h² x E

The different variables are defined below

P² = program planning

w⁵ = why x who x when x where x what

h² = how x how much

E = evaluation

Below is a break down of each.

P² is shorthand for program planning. There is not much more to this variable than this. The purpose of this model is to plan a program. What is important is what is to the left of this variable in the model.

w⁵ stands for the 5 w’s that are commonly used in journalism. “Why” explains the reasons and goals of a program. Another way to think of this is that the “why” is articulating the needs and the problems that the program will address. For example, if kids are struggling with math this could be a problem that a program may address. Program planners must know exactly what they are trying to address or the program may not address what the planners have in mind.

“Who” represents the target population. The target population is the individuals who will receive services from the program. Something that goes along with the target population is who will be serving them. Identifying who will serve the target population can include job titles, qualifications needed, etc. Who will be served and who is serving them is captured by this “w.”

The logistics of a program are captured by the last three “w’s” (when, where, and what). “When” deals with the timing a duration of the program which is context-dependent. “Where” is focused on the location. “What” addresses the resources that a program needs to have success.

These 3 w’s must be addressed with the target population in mind. For example, the “where” or location must be accessible to the target population or the “who.” You can’t have a great location with all the needed tools that are too far away for the people you are trying to help. “When” also is affected by being aware of the availability of the target population. If the target is school kids the program might have to be after school when the kids are available or late in the evening after parents get off work.

h² represents “how” and “how much.” “How” are the activities that the program will conduct to help the target population. For example, for a math program, the activity might be tutoring or the use of online resources that support the development of math skills. “How much” is the budget of a program which must keep in mind the amount that is reasonable to request from a funder.

The last letter in this equation is “E” which stands for evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine how well the program was able to achieve its goals and objectives. How an evaluation can be conducted is beyond the scope of this post but this is a critical step in determining what to do next.

Conclusion

This equation is a great way to simplify and explain what needs to happen to develop a grant-funded program. Naturally, there is always more than one way to approach a problem but this is just one of many tools that are available for people who are trying to articulate this complex process.

Evaluation plays a critical role in assessing the value that a program/project has delivered. Here we will look at the various evaluations that are a part of a project evaluation.

Context

A context evaluation allows the evaluators to assess the needs and resources of the local community to determine a plan for effective action. Generally, this type of evaluation happens before the program is running. In addition, this type of evaluation also allows for the evaluation team to get a sense of the local political situation and support for the program. All of this knowledge helps the team to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the local context.

The tools involved in this assessment can include a full-on development of a needs assessment. This can include identifying local leaders in the community, gaps in service, and opportunities to support the community. Context assessments can also be used to look at the team running the program.

The primary goal of a context evaluation is to develop an understanding of the target population and the community within which the target population is found. You want to get into the community found who are the influencers and see how you project can fit into that situation positively.

Implementation

Implementation evaluation happens while a project is going. Among the many goals of this is to see if he goals of the program match with the needs of the target population. Sometimes the best intentions do not benefit the people we are trying to help. Another goal is to identify and minimize barriers to implementation.

Other goals of this evaluation include monitoring the experiences of stakeholders with a project. In other words, determines what the local community thinks of the program after it is implemented. Lastly, implementation evaluation looks at evidence for systemic change or the impact the program is having on the community as a whole.

Outcome

Outcome evaluation is used to determine the type of outcomes you want from a program. By outcomes, it means the influence your program has on the target population or the people who are actually in the program. How this is measured will depend on the project.

There are two types of outcomes and these are individual outcomes and program outcomes. Individual outcomes look at the influence a program has on an individual person. For example, this could include changes in a person’s quality of life, status, or situation. Program outcomes look at the impact of the general services of a program such as improving access, expanding services, etc. How this is measured varies but the focus is always either on the individual or the program. The results of an outcome evaluation help to determine if a program should continue and what is currently working or not working.

There are several questions to consider when attempting an outcome evaluation. Below is a list

• Who are you serving
•  what are the outcomes
•  How will you measure
•  What data are you collecting
•  Purpose of results
•  Performance targets

Most of the bullets above are standard to research and will not be discussed here. What may be new is the term performance target. A performance target are benchmark set that helps to establish the standard for what is considered good or bad performance. For example, a reading comprehension program might set a benchmark of 75% of the students reading at grade level by the end of the program. This sets a standard by which to assess the quality of the program.

Conclusion

Program evaluation is a critical component of the grant process. Once money has been spent, the evaluation helps to determine if the money was spent wisely helping people based on whatever the goals of the grant were.

Within program/project evaluation, there are several different levels at which evaluation can take place. There are three common levels at which this can happen and they are listed below.

• Project
• Cluster
• Programming &policymaking

Project-Level

The main goal of project-level evaluation is to improve the project. Information is collected to impact the decision-making process. There are several phases associated with this level of evaluation.

At the pre-project phase there is often a needs assessment to determine how to support the target population. Other activities at this phase include seeking input from stakeholders and identifying available local resources. At this point, the main purpose is to assess the situation in which the program will take place.

At the startup phase, there are also several activities taking place. For example, there is a need to develop a system for collecting data. How to collect data will vary widely from project to project but this is crucial going forward. Other activities at this phase include collecting baseline data for comparison with the implementation of the project and identifying assumptions about the project. It is critical to have comparison data so that the impact of the program can be assessed while also considering expectations as well.

Implementation involves the continuation of data collection along with feedback from participants in the program. The feedback is formative and helps to make needed course corrections when necessary. There is also a focus on short-term outcomes and assessing how they may impact long-term outcomes.

The maintenance phase involves sharing findings from the program. This information is shared with stakeholders. There is also continued monitoring of the outcomes as determined from the logic model.

Lastly, there is replication. Replication is focused on assessing the fit of the program with the local community. There is also the development of strategies to share with policymakers.

Project-level evaluation is perhaps the most common form of evaluation with grants. However, there are other levels and approaches to evaluation as shown below

Cluster

Cluster evaluation is a type of evaluation that is done by grant funders and or higher-level leaders. The focus here is to look at similar projects and group them. The purpose of this grouping is to see how well these various projects are doing and to focus on change. Members from the different projects meet together and discuss items of interest about their projects and learn from each other.

During these meetings, the leadership may be looking for common themes and opportunities for feedback. This macro view is naturally a time saver for leaders who may not need the details of a project evaluation while still having a sense of how things are going

Programming & Policymaking

At the programming & policymaking level, the evaluation involves summarizing and synthesizing information gathered from various program and cluster evaluations. This is done to address various policy questions that leadership and funders may have. In addition, this type of evaluation determines decisions related to funding and the continued support of a program(s).

Policy changes are also considered. For example, leaders may decide to change various aspects of the funding process and or encourage other types of programs. As with all evaluations, the goal is to make decisions.

Conclusion

These three types of evaluation are commonly used in the context of grant-funded programs. It is important to always assess a project because of the use of other people’s money to others. Therefore, evaluations, such as the ones shared here, will continue to be a part of the grant process.

This post will take a look at program evaluation, which is a critical part of the grant process.

Types of Evaluation

In program evaluation, there are two forms of evaluation. The two forms are formative evaluation and summative evaluation. Formative evaluation is an evaluation that takes place during the running of the program and is used to make course corrections during implementation. Summative evaluation takes place when a program has run its course and now the goal is to see how it went. In other words, formative is focused on performance right now while summative is focused on performance in the past.

Formative Evaluation

Formative evaluation, as already mentioned, is focused on the context and implementation of the program. This type of evaluation is also focused on the quality of the program (good/bad) and the quantity of the program (ie how many people were served). Formative evaluation takes a look at the activities that were used in the program as well as the outputs from the program.

The purpose of this evaluation is to make needed adjustments. If people are dissatisfied with the program and or the numbers are subpar, formative assessment allows for changes during the implementation. Failure to do this will generally lead to a poor summative assessment. In other words, formative evaluation, which allows for program adjustments, can help to improve a summative evaluation at the end of a program.

Summative Evaluation

Summative evaluation is focused on the effectiveness and satisfaction of the program. Rather than looking at activities and outputs like formative evaluation, summative evaluation looks at the outcomes and measures how well those were achieved. Outcomes measure how the activities changed the behavior of people in the target population who participated in the program. For example, an outcome might be to see a one-grade level increase in reading comprehension after spending 3 months using a reading software for 6 hours a week.

Since summative evaluations are focused on the results of a progam this type of evaluation must happen at the end of a program. The results of such an evaluation are used to prove that the program deliver what it promised and to improve the program before the next implementation.

Developing Evaluation Question

Determining what type of evaluation you are doing helps in shaping the type of questions you will ask. Timing is another factor to consider. In addition, knowing whether the program is still ongoing or if it is over should also be considered. Another thing to think about is where in the logic modeling are you evaluating. Activities and outputs generally fall under formative evaluation while outcomes and maybe impact would fall under summative evaluation.

When developing questions that you will answer for an evaluation it is important to think of the following.

• Area of the question (context, activities, outputs, outcomes, impact)
• Audience (staff, participants, community, government, funders)
• Type of question (qualitative vs quantitative)

As mentioned, think about where in the logic model the evaluation takes place as this affects the questions. Questions about activities will be different from questions about outcomes. Activity questions might focus on the number of participants while outcome questions will ask about changes in the participants’ behavior after program participation.

It is also important to think about the audience for the report. Staff within the program will have different questions from funders. Funders will care about how money is used while staff may care about satisfaction and ease of implementation. Not only are questions going to vary but the type of evaluation may vary as well.

Lastly, it is important to think about the type of questions to ask. Questions can be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative questions are narrative-focused and use words to describe a phenomenon. Quantitative questions use numbers to describe things, Both are appropriate at the right time.

Whatever questions you develop you must think about where the data comes from and what type of help you might need to get this data. With this information in mind completing an evaluation should not be a problem.

Conclusion

Evaluation is used within the context of grants to determine how well things were going during the program and how well the program met its targets at the end of the program. This knowledge plays a critical role in establishing a program and measuring how to improve the program going forward.

Sitting down and developing a logic model is challenging. However, there are ways to complete this without the stress. What many people do is design the logic model backward by considering the outcomes they want and then developing activities that lead to the desired outcomes. In education, we call this Backward Design which is a model for developing curriculum. In this post, we will look at how to design a logic model using this system that is similar to Backward Design.

The Problem

Although it was stated that you need to begin with the outcomes and impact this is not completely correct. When developing a logic model, one of the first things to consider is what problem you want your program to address. Once this is determined along with the target population you can then move to the outcomes.

Focusing on the problem, for example, you may notice at a school that there are struggles with reading comprehension. You would now find literature to see how this problem has been addressed in other places as well as document how your organization has addressed this problem. It is important that the problem is thoroughly explained and grounded in your mind and is convincing to potential grant funders. The problem is the heart of the program and if it is shaking the program will not be able to get off the ground.

Target Population, Outcomes & Impact

The next step is to determine who the target population is. For the reading comprehension example, we have to determine specifically who is struggling with reading comprehension. Is it all students, a specific grade, a minority population, etc? The target population is the people who will experience the program. In addition, different funders prefer to fund different target populations.

Once a problem is defined many people want to rush to determine activities to solve the problem. This is not correct in many instances. Instead, we want to define our outcomes and impacts. Outcomes are changes we want to see in our target population as a result of our program and impacts are changes in the community as a result of our program. For example, we might want reading scores among 6th graders to improve one grade level on average for each student. The impact of this would be higher graduation rates when these kids get near the end of high school thanks to their improved reading skills.

The next step still does not involve activities. We now need to consider factors that influence the community concerning this program. These factors can be helpful or detrimental to our program’s influence. For example, our reading program can be helped by using school computers (positive factor) however, student motivation may be lacking in developing reading skills (negative factor). Understanding the factors your program faces helps you to be aware of roadblocks and support for your program.

Activities & Assumptions

Now it is time to address activities. Sometimes this section is called strategies. In this section, you identify best practices for solving your problem. this is all grounded in literature and should be supported with references. For example, using reading software to encourage kids to read would help to improve reading comprehension (desired outcome) while also motivating them through gamification (motivation was a negative factor to overcome).

Assumptions are another critical part of the planning process. With assumptions, you explain how and why tour strategies will work in the target population. The purpose here is to sit down and think about why your program is such a great idea. You need to be aware of things you are assuming without knowing you are assuming them. For example, for the reading comprehension example, you might be assuming that the current school computers are adequate for use with reading comprehension software.

Conclusion

The best advice that could be given about this process is to focus on the end in mind. Start with what you want to see, and the impact you want to make, and from there develop the outcomes and activities appropriately. Once this process is completed you can begin to input information into a logic model.

This post will look at different types of logic models. In general, there are three types of logic models as shown below.

• Theory Approach Models
• Outcome Approach Models
• Activities Approach Models

Of course, in the real world, it is never this simple as three categories. Many models are a mixture of more than one. The benefit of being aware of these three models is that it helps you as the logic model developer to understand what you want to focus on when creating a logic model.

Theory Approach Models

The purpose of theories is to explain. Therefore, a theory approach model is focused on depicting how and why a program will work. The model will go into detail on explaining how a program will achieve something.

In general, there will be an emphasis not on outcomes and impact but on the earlier part of the model such as the inputs and even components before the inputs. It’s not that the other sections are not important. Instead, the goal is to ensure grant readers understand the justification for the program.

Outcomes Approach Models

Outcomes are the direct influence that outputs from a program have on the target population in terms of changes in attitudes, behavior, etc. Therefore, an outcome approach model is focused on outcomes and their connection with activities and impact. Often individual activities are linked directly to the outcome they are supposed to support.

Outcome approach models are useful for evaluation as they are focused on the measured components of a program. For example, if one of the outcomes of a program is a 30% increase in students reading at grade level. Such an outcome can be measured and determined if the program was able to achieve this or not.

Outcome approach models are not as concerned with the how and why of a program as theory models are. Instead, this model is focused on the performance of the model and whether the outcomes are achieved or not.

Activities Approach Models

Activities approach models emphasize what the program will do through the activities or methods of the program. The activities are often mapped out in a sequential fashion leading up to a particular output. In other words, several activities will happen chronologically to achieve a specific outcome.

Unlike the theory model, the activity model is not training as much to explain the what and how of the model. In addition, unlike the outcome model, the activity model is not focused on how the program influences the target population.

Conclusion

It is important to remember that how to develop one of these models in particular will vary widely from place to place. The real point here is to be aware of the focus of your logic model. Being aware of what matters most to you and your readers, whether it is the theory, outcomes, or activities, can help you shape the most appropriate logic model for your context

Logic models play a critical role in the grant proposal process. What logic models do is show how your program will work by depicting visually the relationships among the resources, activities, and desired results of your program.

In general, there are two main sections of a logic model. These two sections are called the plan and the intention. Within each of these sections, there are also several key components. The plan includes inputs and activities and the intention includes outputs, outcomes, and impact. Below is a diagram of a simple linear logic model.

We will now define each of these terms in the logic model. The ideas behind this post are derived from the W.K. Foundation which has several informative documents on the grant development process.

The Plan

Inputs or resources are needed to get the program to work. An analogy would be gas for a car. You can have the best intentions in the world with a car but without gas, nothing will happen. A program with resources will have no impact.

Activities or methods are what the program does with the resources. For example, a car burns gas to travel somewhere. Activities within a program are used to bring about desired results or help manifest the program’s intentions.

Intention

Outputs are the direct results of the activities of your program. These can be services, participation rates in the program, levels or dosages, etc. In other words, outputs are some sort of tangible product or experience. For a car, the output would be whatever place the car travels to such as a mall, restaurant, or park.

Outcomes are changes in the target population or the people who the program is for in terms of their attitudes, behaviors, skills, etc. For example, once we take our car to the park we would expect everyone to be happier from having a chance to experience nature. Outcomes can be broken down by increments within a few years of the program to almost ten years after the program’s implementation. The scope of the outcomes depends on the designer of the program.

Impact is the fundamental change in the local community and or organization as a result of the program’s implementation. Therefore, after taking the trip to the park using the car we might expect to have improved family relations and reduced stress from the trip’s fun. In other words, the impact is the long-term effects of the program on the greater community due to changes in the target population.

Interpreting Logicl Model with If Then Statements

A great way to understand logic models is to see them as a chain of if-then statements. Each component of the logic model feeds into the next one and shows “logically” how the program should run. Below is an example

If we have the resources we need then.. (Inputs)
We can complete the activities then.. (activities)
The target population will participate in the activities then… (outputs)
There will be changes in the target population then… (outcomes)
There will be changes in the larger community (impact)

Here is the same example using the car example

If we have gas for the car then… (inputs)
We can travel then… (activities)
We will go to the park then… (outputs)
Everybody will be happier then… (outcomes)
Family relations will improve… (impact)

Both of the examples above are examples of non-visual logic models. It is important to note that there are different ways to support out the different parts of a logic model. Some will agree with the breakout above and some will not. The real point is to make it clear in your mind how you want to go about breaking apart the components of your program.

Conclusion

Logic models are powerful tools for helping you to develop your programs that are seeking grant funding. Logic models can also help with implementation and the evaluation of a program as well. Therefore, it is clear that there are many reasons why logic models should be used in the grant proposal process.

Goals and objectives are derived from the needs statement of a grant proposal. It is important that the needs statement, goals, and objectives, are all aligned in order to make sure a program has a clear sense of purpose. In this post, we will define goals and objectives within the context of grant writing.

Goals

Goals are broad general statements that provide a sense of direction for a project. Objectives are derived from goals with the difference being that goals are specific in terms of how they help to reach the goal. Goals, because of their general nature, are unachievable but are instead inspirational in their construction.

Since goals are intangible they are also unmeasurable. An example of a goal would be the following for a school.

To provide the best educational services in the region

The goal above is a goal because of its general unmeasurable nature. None of the terms are defined and there is no way of knowing when the school will be the best in the region as this is not defined either.

Objectives

Objectives support goals by making goals real at least in part. Objectives are specific steps that are made in a measurable way to reach goals. Objectives are often associated with the acronym SMART which stands for.

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound

Objectives need to focus on something or be specific. Objectives also need to be measurable generally quantitatively. Objectives must also be achievable given the context of the program. Objectives must also be relevant or related to the goals and needs statement of the project. In other words, an education program needs objectives related to education and not health care. Lastly, objectives must have a window of time in which they can be achieved. Below is an example of an objective.

Ensure at least 15 students are reading at grade level by the end of the program

Within the context of grant writing, there are two types of objectives which are outcome and process objectives. Outcome objectives demonstrate impact are results derived from a program. An example would be the objective shown above in this paragraph. This objective is achieved as an outcome of the program. In other words, once the program is completed the desired measurable behaviors should be measurable.

Process objectives are focused on the steps to achieve results within a program. An example of a process objective is below.

The number of students who participate in the reading program for the first time within the grant period willgrow to 10% of the student population

The objective above helps the program leaders realize what they need to do to ensure the success of the program. In other words, the students are not doing anything here. Instead, the program leaders know what percent of the student population is needed for the study. Process objectives need to be achieved to ensure the validity of any outcome objectives.

Objectives are result-oriented and concrete. Grant proposals need objectives to provide shape to the direction that a program will take if it is funded.

things to Considered

There are several tips and things to consider when developing goals and objectives. It is important to determine what it is that you want to change with your program. Understanding the target of changes can help to formulate goals and objectives. For example, if the change target is improved reading comprehension this will lead to different goals and objectives compared to developing math skills.

It is also important to be aware of the target population or the people you want to serve. This is important because the target population can often show up in goals and objectives to help focus the proposal. Another concern is the direction of change. Is there a desire to increase or decrease a behavior or skill? Generally, reading comprehension should increase while arrests should decrease.

The amount of change and a timeline should be thought about as well. Numbers must be set to both of these ideas. The amount of change can be a 10% increase or decrease in something and the timeline can depend on how long the program will last. In all of this, the goals should be inspirational while the objectives are measurable.

Lastly, it is important to know that objectives are not methods. Objectives measure the impact of methods or activities that are used to see if objectives have been achieved.

Conclusion

Goals and objectives are at the heart of a proposal. They provide shape and a sense of accountability to a project. Knowing this, the goals and objectives must be presented understandably not only for the readers of the proposal but also for the writers as they provide clarity in what exactly one is attempting to accomplish.

In this post, we will look at the role that the needs statement plays in a grant proposal. The needs statement of a grant proposal is similar to the problem statement of a research paper in that both provide the overall scope of the proposal/paper and what will be addressed. In the case of the grant proposal, the needs statement guides the development of the goals, objectives, methods, evaluation, and even the budget. Given the influence of this statement, it must be expressed in a manner that is first and foremost comprehensible for the intended readers.

Tips & Insights

The grantor must agree with the needs statement so that those seeking money can obtain it. In other words, the grantor must be convinced that the needs statement articulates a need that aligns with what the grantor provides money for. For example, a funder that is focused on sports exercise is not going to be convinced of needs that are focused on English language skills.

The needs statement also be consistent with the grant-seeking organization. In other words, a school seeking funding must write grants that support schools. It is also critical to show how, with the money, an organization can help to fill the need that they are trying to address. This means that the grantees must explain how they are competent to use the money to address the need.

Making a compelling needs statement involves the artful use of quantitative and qualitative data. Both forms of data provide evidence of the need. Statistics can provide a summary of trends over time and help to indicate where there may be problems. Qualitative data provides anecdotal evidence and shares stories that are easy to understand and appreciate.

Circular Reasoning

One common trap that many grant writers fall into is the use of circular reasoning. Circular reasoning is a fallacy in which the main idea is used as a supporting detail or the premise is also the conclusion. An example would be “Make your bed because I said so.” In this argument, no evidence is provided for why the bed should be made except for the authority of the speaker.

Within the context of grant writing, an example of circle reasoning would be “We do not have enough computers for our students. Therefore, buying computers will fulfill this need.” In this poignant emotional example, one can see the school thinks they need computers but no evidence is provided that the school needs computers except for their request. Using quantitative and qualitative data could illustrate how the school needs computers rather than relying on their innate desire for computers

Conclusion

The needs statement is critical to grant writing. As such, it can be difficult to articulate this clearly. However, if this is done it can seriously help to communicate with funders.

There are different proposal types grant-seekers can use to solicit funds. The type of proposal you will use depends on who you are communicating with. In general, there are four types of proposals.

• Letter of intent
• Letter proposal
• Full proposal
• Online application

We will look at each below.

Letter of Intent

A letter of intent is a 2-3 page summary of your project. This letter will contain information describing your organization, the gist of the project, and how the project fits the priorities of the potential funder.

There are several benefits of a letter of intent. First, it saves time for both the grant seeker and the funder. It is much easier to write a 2-3 page summary and to read such a summary than to go through the entire proposal process. Second, if the funder likes what they read, they can request a full proposal.

Letter Proposal

A letter proposal is 3-4 pages and describes the project and organization seeking funds. This type of proposal is often requested by corporations. On the surface, it appears there is no difference between a letter of intent and a letter proposal. However, there is one major difference

A letter of proposal will generally always include a request for a specific amount of money. A letter of intent will not include a dollar request. The letter of intent is a letter that communicates an intention to send a proposal while a letter proposal is already a proposal.

Full Proposal

A full proposal is what many think of when they think of a grant proposal. A full proposal is somewhere between 5-25 pages and includes a cover letter, proposal summary, project plan, evaluation plan, etc. This type of document is often requested by foundations from the beginning or perhaps after a letter of intent has been received.

A full proposal is going to have a strong explanation of all of the costs involved and the funding request. There will also be details in terms of objectives and activities that will be performed to achieve the objectives. Since so much is involved in the preparation of this document, it takes a great deal of time and can be discouraging if the project is rejected.

Application

Perhaps the most common way to solicit funds from grantors is the online application. The online application involves completing some sort of online template in which all the information the grantor wants is inputted. Such an approach is a departure from the personal, relationship-building style of grant-seeking of the past.

It seems that everybody uses online applications now but they are especially common among large grant-making institutions who focus on funded projects. It’s easy for this to become an impersonal experience. However, the goal is to help people who are in need through obtaining needed funding.

Conclusion

The proposal is a critical part of obtaining funding. It provides critical information about the project while also formally communicating a need to a potential financial supporter. However, it is important to consider the preferred way that a grantmaker wants to be contacted, which is why these various types of proposals were shared.

This post will explain the various parts of a grant proposal evaluation. It is important to remember that there is no single way that this is done. Rather, the information provided below gives a general summary of what is commonly expected. Below are commonly found sections in a grant proposal evaluation.

• Purpose
• Need
• Operational plan
• Personnel
• Budget
• Evaluation
• Resources

Each of these parts of a proposal are explained below.

Alignment of Purpose

One component that grantors look at is the purpose of the grantee. In other words, why does the grantee exist? In addition, the grantor wants to know how the proposal’s objectives align with the organization’s purpose.

For example, the purpose of a school is to provide education. Therefore, if a school is seeking funding it must support the purpose of the school which is to provide education. This means that a proposal that focuses on improving reading is probably more aligned with the purpose of education than seeking money for faculty vacations.

Extent of Need

The extent of needs identifies what exactly is the problem that the organization is facing. For those familiar with research it is similar to the statement of the problem. The organization must document not only anecdotal evidence but also from literature on the extent of the problem that is being faced in the local context.

The grantor is looking at the scope and focus of the need. Sometimes organizations try to do too much in one proposal. It is too difficult to define how focused the needs should be as this will vary from place to place. The point is to be aware that a proposal needs focus to obtain approval.

Operational Plan

The operational plan is similar to the methodology of a research paper. In this section, the organization explains the project design by sharing what resources will be used to achieve the objectives. There will also be an explanation of the milestones and an assessment of how logical they are.

Other aspects of this section include the timeline which must also be assessed for its reasonableness. In addition, various activities are shared along with how they help to achieve the objectives of the proposal. All this must be grounded and based on research.

In our school example, we might have the objective of improving reading comprehension by half a grade level over one academic year. This objective might be achieved by using grant money to purchase reading software that allows the kids to practice reading aloud and answering comprehension questions. The milestones might include purchasing the software, training the teachers to use it, monthly progress checks of the students, etc.

Personnel Quality

The personal quality section addresses whether or not the people within the organization have the skills needed to complete the project. If the skills are lacking, then the proposal must explain how the current group of people will be trained or how additional people will be hired.

It is also necessary to clearly define the responsibilities of all individuals involved in the project. Lastly, it is useful to include an estimate of how much time people will devote to the project.

Budget

The budget is mostly self-explanatory. It is important to make sure that the budget covers all expenses. Furthermore, the cost must be reasonable. Again, it is impossible to define reasonable but this must be kept in mind. Lastly, it is also important to include administrative costs in the budget as well.

Evaluation

All projects must be evaluated which means that there must be a way to define the success or failure of the endeavor. This involves collecting data throughout the project and using the data to determine if the objectives have been achieved. Therefore, the proposal must include means of data collection and analysis to assess the success of the project.

The evaluation must be valid or appropriate for the project. For example, if a school is trying to improve reading comprehension then the evaluation must measure the students’ reading comprehension. Asking the students if they believe their reading comprehension has improved is not as valid because it is measuring perceptions rather than reading comprehension directly.

Resource Sufficiency

Resource sufficiency is focused on the organization explaining their readiness to implement the program if they are given the money. In other words, do they have adequate facilities right now or do they need to improve them?

Another concern is equipment. For example, if a school wants to purchase reading software the next question is whether or not the school has enough computers to support the software. There is also a concern for the age of the computers and whether or not the computers can handle the software.

Conclusion

Writing a grant proposal is challenging yet exciting. It allows an organization to obtain funding to help people who are in need. For many, this is a satisfying experience. However, great care must be taken to make sure that the proposal is written in a way that it is accepted as a project worthy of funding.

Writing grants is one of many ways to acquire funding to support an institution. In this post, we will look at some of the basic components that are a part of a grant proposal.

Abstract

The abstract of a grant proposal provides a general summary or a snapshot of the main points of the proposal. The abstract commonly includes such things as the objectives, the methods, and maybe the way the grant will be evaluated.

A major question people often have about the abstract is when to write it. It really depends on how your mind works. Some prefer to write it at the beginning and use it to guide the rest of the writing. Others prefer to write the abstract at the end after they know what they wrote in the proposal.

Needs Statement

The needs statement is a section of a grant problem in which the writer shares the problem, the background of the problem, and the review of the literature. Essentially, the writer is trying to illustrate the context in which there is a need for the grant money.

The needs statement also shares how the problem will be addressed at least briefly. Sharing this information also implies the benefits of implementing whatever program the grantee is seeking funding for.

Plan of Operation

The plan of operation is the methodology of a grant proposal. In this section, the objectives may be shared again along with the methods. Methods are how the objectives are achieved in a grant proposal. For example, if a school is applying for a grant to improve reading comprehension, the method for doing this might be to train teachers in a different reading approach to help students.

Sometimes activities are also listed. These are various things that are done in order to facilitate the grant as well.

Personnel & Cost

Personnel is a list of the people who are involved in the performance of the grant. This can include people who already work at the school and or people who will be hired in order to do this.

The cost is self-explanatory. The grantors need to know how much money is needed and this information is provided here.

Evaluation

Evaluation explains how the performance of the grant will be determined. In this section, it is important to explain what is being evaluated. In addition, it is common to provide some sort of before and after metric. For example, what was the reading comprehension before the program was implemented is a question that can be addressed. this is one way to indicate the amount of change that is expected

It is also necessary to indicate who is responsible for completing the revelation along with the cost. If there are some sort of standards this can also help with determining the quality of the program as well.

Current Resources (significance

Current resources tell the grantor the tools available right now to achieve the objectives. In this section, it is also important to share why you should receive this money and why you are best qualified to achieve what you have stated in this proposal.

Assurances and Attachments

Assurances are statements that the grantee will abide by whatever rules and regulations are required of the grantor. This is common when applying for government grants. Attachments are miscellaneous documents that might be needed. These documents are context-dependent but can include budgets, timelines, and or letters.

Conclusion

Writing a grant proposal can seem like a daunting task. However, once you are familiar with some of the basic components it is a much less intimidating experience.

Objectives within the context of grants are used to try and explain the changes that the grant seekers want to make in their local context. The objectives defined what kind of change and how much change will take place. In other words, objectives are outcome-focused.

It is important to not use objectives to explain how things will change. Defining how things will change is a method and not an objective. Objectives help readers see what will change by the completion of the project.

Below are the major components of grant objective(s)

• Action statement
• Performance measure(s)
• Performance standard(s)
• Timeline
• Costs

Action Statement

The action statement contains a verb that clearly defines what is going to change. Below is an action statement.

To decrease the number of youth who commit crimes after release from the ABC drug program

This is a good start. The action statement clearly defines that we are trying to decrease how many kids commited crimes. However, alone, this objective lacks quantitative features that allow us to assess how successful the program is.

Performance Measure(s)

Performance measures are the variables that are measured to indicate success or failure. What these variables are can depend largely on the context of the grant. Below is our updated objective about the drug program.

To decrease the number of youth who commit crimes after release from the ABC drug program (action statement),as measured by the number of refferals received after completing the program (performance measure),

In the example above, we will know if the youth who commit crimes after release is going up or down based on the number of referrals that are received. Referrals are a way to document offenses that youths may have committed.

Performance Standard

Performance standards provide the objective with a clear quantitative way of defining what is good. For example, in grading 90% is an ‘A’ grade. Below is an example of a performance standard within the context of our objective

To decrease the number of youth who commit crimes after release from the ABC drug program (action statement), as measured by the number of refferals received after completing the program (performance measure), by at least 25% (performance standard).

Now we know how much referrals must decline in order to consider the program a success. How this number was determined is beyond the scope of this blog post. It is important that performance standards are thought out and researched so that they are challenging but achievable.

Timeline & Cost

The timeline provides a framework for how long it will take to see results. Cost provides an estimate of the amount of money that is needed. Below is our final objective

To decrease the number of youth who commit crimes after release from the ABC drug program (action statement), as measured by the number of refferals received after completing the program (performance measure), by at least 25% (performance standard) per year (timeline) at a cost of $15,000 a year (cost)

The timeline in which the performance standards are measured is yearly. The statement above is a great summary of the high points of funding this particular program.

Conclusion

The goal of a grant proposal is to communicate as clearly as possible. Naturally, everybody has a different opinion on what is clear. However, starting with a framework like the one above can at least help you get started and have a common reference point with your team. As needed, it will be important to modify the ideas here.

It is common for schools and other organizations to seek funding for various initiatives. One source of funding is grant seeking. When attempting to develop a grant proposal. Several concepts need to be included to develop a comprehensive proposal. The parts to be included are

• Pain point
• Answer
• Commitment

When these three components are included it can help a team to attain the grant funding they are seeking. Before writing, it is critical to brainstorm various ways to address these three components before settling on the best choices for the proposal.

The Pain Point

The pain point comes from the context of the grantees. For example, this can be the classroom, the community, or some other aspect of society as a whole. The goal at this point is to be able to paint a picture of the issue that requires financial support to address. The illustration of this can be through the use of statistics, observations, stories, and literature.

The goal here is to document the gap. By gap, it means the distance between where you are and where you want to be. Again, the distance between these two places will be filled through the judicious use of grant funding.

The Answer(s)

The answer(s) are the ways and strategies that will be employed upon receiving grant funding to address the needs and strengthen the system. For example, if a school is struggling with providing tablets to students the solution would be to purchase tablets using grant funding.

Remember that the goal right now is to brainstorm. This means several solutions are proposed until the team can agree on one. Also, remember that if you are applying for several different grants different solutions to the same problem might be more appealing to different grantors. Therefore, it is important to know your audience when developing grant proposals.

The Commitment

The commitment is often confusing for people. Essentially, the commitment is a part of the proposal in which the grant-seekers attempt to explain the extra effort the team will make when using the grant funds. Depending on the culture, demonstrating passion is important. The grantors often want to know that you are on fire to use this money to implement change and address needs.

Documenting one’s commitment can include expressing your eagerness to help students. You can speak on how you will make adjustments to your classroom and or teaching once the money is put to good use. Again, it is important to think of several different ways to address this before settling on the first idea that occurs in one’s head.

Attainment

If everything goes according to plan in mapping ideas in the first three parts, it is hopeful that the money will be granted. When this happens it is now possible to acquire the tools and or train the people to meet the needs of the context.

Conclusion

The information above provides a framework for getting started in the grant writing process. In summary, it is important to try and document the need, solution, and commitment you are making when seeking funding.