Evaluation and Program Planning最新文献_第2页

A mixed methods evaluation of an alcohol and other drug psychoeducation program for clients with complex support needs

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-03-05 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102578

Emily Deans , Wing See Yuen , George Economidis , Anthony Shakeshaft , Sara Farnbach

{"title":"A mixed methods evaluation of an alcohol and other drug psychoeducation program for clients with complex support needs","authors":"Emily Deans , Wing See Yuen , George Economidis , Anthony Shakeshaft , Sara Farnbach","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Clients with co-occurring and complex needs represent an important segment of the alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment population. Retaining and engaging individuals in AOD treatment is challenging, and this pursuit is further impeded when clients present with complex support needs. This study sought to establish the feasibility and acceptability of a newly developed psychoeducation program for this clientele, attending a non-residential treatment service in New South Wales.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study employed a mixed methods approach. The team analysed aggregated non identifiable routinely collected data, including alcohol and other drug use, psychological distress and quality of life metrics pre and post intervention. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were also conducted with consenting clients and clinicians to complement quantitative data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Twenty-five eligible clients consented to have their data used for this study and nine consented to participate in an interview. Results show a significant decrease in psychological distress among clients at exit compared to baseline, however no significant change in quality-of-life scores or substance use was quantitatively observed. Some clients self-reported a reduction in substance use and most appreciated the flexibility of the one-on-one service offering.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our findings show that the psychoeducational program delivered to clients with complex support needs at Rendu House is feasible and acceptable to both clients and clinicians, and that the use of routinely collected data to measure treatment outcomes is viable within this setting. Our findings also demonstrate the value of qualitative inquiry in situating narratives of recovery among clients with complex needs where improvements may be incremental.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 102578"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143593772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Navigating program evaluation amid health crises: Evaluator's experiences on conducting virtual focus group discussions

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-26 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102568

Lesedi Senamele Matlala

{"title":"Navigating program evaluation amid health crises: Evaluator's experiences on conducting virtual focus group discussions","authors":"Lesedi Senamele Matlala","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Virtual Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) have become vital tools in program evaluations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they provide an adaptable alternative to traditional face-to-face methods. These virtual platforms, such as Google Meet, allow evaluators to engage diverse stakeholders and collect valuable insights despite geographical limitations. However, despite their increasing use, there remains a significant gap in understanding how evaluators in South Africa perceive and implement virtual methodologies in the context of program evaluations. This study aims to address this gap by reflecting on evaluators’ experiences with virtual FGDs, focusing particularly on Google Meet as the chosen platform. This research uses a reflective methodology to explore various aspects of virtual FGDs, such as participant engagement, technological proficiency, and data privacy challenges encountered during sessions. The findings reveal that while virtual FGDs provide enhanced accessibility and flexibility, they also present challenges related to participants’ digital literacy, technological infrastructure issues, and data privacy concerns. The study emphasizes the need for strategies to mitigate these challenges, including the provision of pre-session training for participants, enhancing digital infrastructure, and reinforcing data protection measures. Additionally, it recommends the implementation of hybrid models that combine virtual and in-person approaches to bridge the technological divide. This study contributes valuable insights into the experiences of evaluators conducting virtual FGDs in South Africa, offering practical recommendations for improving the effectiveness and inclusivity of virtual evaluations. Ultimately, virtual FGDs hold significant potential to enhance program evaluations in South Africa, but addressing the identified challenges is essential to maximizing their impact on the evaluation process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 102568"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143534691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Effectiveness of emergency food assistance programs during COVID-19 at Union Parishad: Mediating role of political neutrality

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-26 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102566

Maruf Ahmad , Jannatul Ferdous

{"title":"Effectiveness of emergency food assistance programs during COVID-19 at Union Parishad: Mediating role of political neutrality","authors":"Maruf Ahmad , Jannatul Ferdous","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Union Parishads (UPs) launched Emergency Food Assistance Programmes (EFAPs) in Bangladesh to address food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its importance, EFAP had resource shortages, logistical barriers, and potential gaps in coverage. This study evaluates the critical factors of EFAP's contribution to food insecurity, including governance practices, political dynamics, and operational capabilities. A cross-sectional survey and mixed- method analysis was performed, encompassing beneficiaries and officials, to examine the distribution process, governance frameworks, and the significance of political neutrality. The findings reveal that governance_EFAP (<em>β= 0.080, p < 0.05</em>), distributive__EFAP (<em>β = 0.084, p < 0.05</em>), and crisisMgt_EFAP (<em>β= 0.30, p < 0.05</em>) significantly enhance EFAP effectiveness, while political bias negatively affects impartiality and efficiency. Political neutrality (pol_neu) (<em>R² = 0.88</em>) mediates the relationship between equity in distribution and the effectiveness of EFAPs. The study is innovative in examining how political neutrality mediates the success of EFAPs during the COVID-19 epidemic, notably UPs in Bangladesh. It provides unique insights into governance, equity, political dynamics, and evidence-based disaster relief distribution suggestions for local governments, international development organizations, and humanitarian agencies. The study suggests capacity-building for UP officials, accountability, and political neutrality in aid distribution to improve governance frameworks are crucial for addressing food insecurity in future crisis response. With its cross-sectional approach, this research cannot assess EFAPs' long-term effects. Its application may be limited because it solely examines UP governance. Longitudinal research across various administrative settings among multiple countries could determine the efficacy of the EFAP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 102566"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143549045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

A continuous quality improvement process to create a sexual health curriculum for systems-involved youth

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102567

Nicole A. Dierschke, Jennifer Todd, Susan Schmidt, Kristen Plastino

{"title":"A continuous quality improvement process to create a sexual health curriculum for systems-involved youth","authors":"Nicole A. Dierschke, Jennifer Todd, Susan Schmidt, Kristen Plastino","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This manuscript outlines the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process used to assess the Need to Know (N2K) teen pregnancy prevention program, consisting of six interactive 60-min modules for systems-involved youth (SIY) (youth in foster care, juvenile justice, or residential treatment centers) and one 120-min module for caregivers of SIY. There were ten implementation cycles with youth at two partner sites and six implementation cycles with caregivers at three partner sites. Purposeful sampling was used to select the sample of SIY at each partner site. Inclusion criteria for youth participants: English-speaking SIY who were not pregnant and were not parenting. Need to Know-Caregiver (N2K-C) was embedded as part of professional development training at partner sites. From July 2019 to March 2020, N2K-Youth and N2K-C were implemented with 102 youth and 84 caregivers, respectively. CQI areas of improvement included: streamlining content; increasing the number of activities; accommodating youth comprehension levels; increasing trauma-informed approaches; including mindfulness strategies; meeting youth where they are emotionally; improving facilitator preparedness to implement programming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 102567"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143507924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Characteristics of sustainability: A complexity-based view to inform evaluation

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102561

Jonathan A. Morell

{"title":"Characteristics of sustainability: A complexity-based view to inform evaluation","authors":"Jonathan A. Morell","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article argues that the evaluation of sustainability would benefit from incorporating the behaviors of complex systems into its theories, models, and methodologies. <em>Behavior</em> is the operative word because what matters is what complex systems <em>do</em>, not what complex systems are. As we apply knowledge of complexity to sustainability, it is important to recognize that sustainability is value neutral. We have values, but “sustainability” does not. Appreciation of complex behavior can help devise evaluation that will move sustainability in a direction that comports with our values. Efforts to achieve sustainability often involve multiple goals. We speak of these goals as if each can be optimized. There are powerful reasons why joint optimization is possible, but that optimization of all at the same time is not. Appreciating this reality is important if we are to devise evaluation that can support movement toward sustainability. “Emergence,” “sensitive dependence,” “state change,” “attractors,” and “self-organization” should be incorporated into evaluation designs because these complex behaviors combine to explain a great deal about sustainability. Overlaying this view with concepts from ecology and evolutionary biology provides additional complexity related insight into what sustainability is and how it can be evaluated. The material described above is brought together in a generic model that can be adapted to particular sustainability efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 102561"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143527142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Co-constructing educational innovations for an uncertain future: Design thinking and developmental evaluation in the school reform process

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102559

Elizabeth Kurucz , Emily Krysten Spencer-Mueller , Catherine Hands , Nadine Gudz , Karin Archer

{"title":"Co-constructing educational innovations for an uncertain future: Design thinking and developmental evaluation in the school reform process","authors":"Elizabeth Kurucz , Emily Krysten Spencer-Mueller , Catherine Hands , Nadine Gudz , Karin Archer","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This qualitative research examines the question: In what ways does a developmental evaluation of a STEM program co-developed through a design thinking process illuminate program goal attainment? Students, parents, teachers, high school staff, school district administrators, advisory committee members, community, and college and university partners in a southern Ontario region participated in a collective effort to develop an innovative approach to STEM education in the context of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, collaboratively prototyping the concept in a design workshop, and further refining it with diverse stakeholders. Collaborators co-constructed a developmental evaluation framework to continuously learn from experimentation toward program goals. Data sources include participant observation, field notes, interviews, and document analysis. Findings highlight program strengths needed to sustain it, and challenges that threaten its longevity. The paper concludes with a program assessment based on its intended impacts and opportunities to scale a design thinking approach in education to other jurisdictions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 102559"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143518916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Evaluating the effects of Cannabis reform on human security: A comparative case study of Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-17 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102562

Stephen Christopher Johnson

{"title":"Evaluating the effects of Cannabis reform on human security: A comparative case study of Jamaica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines","authors":"Stephen Christopher Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human security outcomes of cannabis decriminalisation are important for small island developing states. This study uses a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design and comparative case analysis of Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to develop a results matrix to evaluate the human security outcomes of cannabis decriminalisation. The findings indicate that St. Vincent and the Grenadines' context-sensitive approach has been more effective in providing livelihood opportunities for traditional farmers. In comparison, Jamaica's reform, using a people-centred approach and supported by a revised four-point plan, has struggled to integrate traditional farmers into its regulatory framework. Both states demonstrated sensitivity to cannabis use through social justice via expungement legislation, and health security through medical access. However, challenges remain in measuring the impact on health security in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Biennial surveys capturing key variables can address this deficit by identifying policy gaps and guiding adaptive approaches. The study contributes to the discourse on drug reform and evaluation methodology as the development of a results matrix can assess human well-being and establish benchmarks for evaluating state progress in enhancing human security. The findings offer insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and evaluators to establish a secure cannabis industry aligned with human security principles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 102562"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

An evaluation of a 9th and 10th grade Native American virtual pilot: Utilizing a culturally responsive and Inclusive Science model

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102563

Linnea L. Hjelm , Carolee Dodge Francis , Noehealani Bareng-Antolin

引用次数: 0

Bridging the gaps in sustainability assessment: A systematic literature review, 2014–2023

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-13 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102557

Mita Marra

{"title":"Bridging the gaps in sustainability assessment: A systematic literature review, 2014–2023","authors":"Mita Marra","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article highlights recurrent themes and research communities in Sustainability Assessment (SA), a rapidly growing trans-disciplinary area particularly relevant to the global evaluation community. This bibliometric analysis signals the emergence of a substantial research community based in Asia and the Middle East, whose production is distinct from North American and European-centric evaluation studies. While the latter primarily address methodological challenges related to sustainability issues in social policy, organizational capacity building, and public health, the broader SA literature centers on life-cycle assessments to integrate the analysis of environmental and socioeconomic effects in such domains as biodiversity, energy efficiency, urban planning, alternative agriculture, and supply chain management. This mapping exercise highlights the global distribution of research output and identifies existing gaps and potential future cross-fertilization. The transdisciplinary SA literature can draw from theory-based designs attuned to complexity and systems thinking. Policy analysts and evaluators can gain insights from diverse SA perspectives and policy approaches to tackle sustainability challenges more systematically.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 102557"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143422491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Consumer welfare of the state-level franchising processes for multi-channel video programming distributors

IF 1.5 4区社会学

Evaluation and Program Planning Pub Date : 2025-02-13 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102558

Heasun Chun , Jin Ki Kim

{"title":"Consumer welfare of the state-level franchising processes for multi-channel video programming distributors","authors":"Heasun Chun , Jin Ki Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2025.102558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Internet protocol television (IPTV) that telecom carriers convey has recently appeared as a competitor of cable television service in the multi-channel video programming distributor (MVPD) market. A carrier must be granted franchise for multi-channel video programs from the local government in the US, which becomes an issue for delaying service launching, hampering fair competition, and leading to inefficient resource allocation of carriers. Therefore, a state-level franchising process has been suggested as an alternative to shorten the launching period, to improve competition in the MVPD market, and as a result, to increase consumer welfare. In this regard, this study proposes a new approach to estimate the gain in consumer welfare from changing the MVPD franchising mechanism from local-level to state-level. Results show that the state-level process will grant a gain in consumer welfare ranging from $1.8 to $3.1 billion dollars for ten years. This result should encourage regulators and legislators to consider a state-level process as a viable option for improving competition in the MVPD, as this change will increase consumer welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48046,"journal":{"name":"Evaluation and Program Planning","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 102558"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143453563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0