Five Steps of Outcome-Based Planning & Evaluation for Youth Services by Gross, Melissa; Mediavilla, Cindy; Walter, Virginia A.;

Short description:

Clarifying the relationship between planning, program development, and evaluation, the five simple steps outlined in this book will help youth services staff conduct solid community assessments and integrate outcome-based planning and evaluation into their work.

Long description:

Outcome-based planning and evaluation (OBPE), with its straightforward approach built on a flexible framework, is the perfect model to enable youth services professionals to deliver effective services regardless of uncertainties. An outcome-based approach can help youth services stay grounded in producing desired outcomes with and for youth through responsive programs, services, and processes that can adapt to changing conditions. Clarifying the relationship between planning, program development, and evaluation, the five simple steps outlined in this book will help youth services staff conduct solid community assessments and integrate OBPE into their work. Inside its pages you will learn

• a short history of OBPE and its evolution;
• why it is crucially important to involve youth in all stages of program development, with guidance on navigating challenges;
• how to think about planning as the need to react quickly, whether due to natural or human-made disasters, changing demographics, or economic swings;
• the five steps of OBPE, from gathering information about your community and determining the outcomes that will serve your community to crafting accurate outcome statements, developing an evaluation plan, and maximizing the results of successful outcome-based programs;
• how to visualize the steps needed to successfully plan, implement, and evaluate an outcome-based program, using the template included in the book;
• ways to share your data to let people know the library?s important role in the community; and
• additional useful tools to bolster your work, including environmental scan forms and ideas for creating relevant family storytimes.

Table of Contents:

• Preface
• Introduction
• Part I An Introduction to Outcome Planning and Evaluation in Youth Services
• Chapter 1 Thinking about Planning in Times of Change
• Chapter 2 Involving Youth in Outcome Planning and Evaluation
• Chapter 3 Defining Outcomes and OBPE
• Chapter 4 Designing the OBPE Project
• Part II The Five-Step OBPE Model
• Chapter 5 Step 1: Gathering Information
• Chapter 6 Step 2: Determining Outcomes
• Chapter 7 Step 3: Developing Programs and Services
• Chapter 8 Step 4: Conducting Evaluations
• Chapter 9 Step 5: Leveraging the Library?s Role
• Conclusion: And Finally . . .
• Appendixes
  • Appendix A Environmental Scan: External (Community) Factors
  • Appendix B Blank OBPE Project Planning Template
  • Appendix C Gantt Chart Example: Books and Bites Community Garden Time Line
  • Appendix D Environmental Scan: Internal (Library) Factors
  • Appendix E ?Books and Bites? Sample Family Storytime Programs
  References
• About the Authors
• Index

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