Data analysis |
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8/3/2010 11:01am
No one on our program team knows anything about data analysis and we can’t afford an outside evaluator. What are some basic ways to demonstrate demographic and outcome data to our stakeholders? |
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8/3/2010 11:48am
Hi Tamara, I am the Research Manager at the Justice Center and developing information to document the efforts of your program and demonstrate program effectiveness is an area that is a challenge for most programs. The first step is to begin to collect data on program participants and their activities in your program. Perhaps the most common tool used in this area is Excel which is a database that is fairly user friendly and eay to learn. The Consensus Project has sponsored 2 webinars on this topic and I am including the link to those webinars at the end of this post. The webinars offer step by step instructions on how to use Excel and ideas for data collection to demonstrate program activity and measure outcomes. Basic information you will want to enter into Excel would include particpant’s name, gender, race/ethnicity,date of birth, referal source, date of entry into the program, services received, date of exit from the program and type of program exit (successfully completed/unsuccessful). This will allow you to develop demographic information about your participants, services received and who completes and who does not. Developing meaningful outcome data is always the hardest challenge but one of the most important activities you can engage in to sustain your program. In this area two types of improved outcomes are usually the goal; reduced recidivsm as measured by fewer arrests/convictions/incarcerations than comparable offenders not receiving your services (or pre- post-program changes in recidiivism) and improved mental health outcomes as measured by improved functioning, fewer hosptializations than prior to program particpation and other goals you have set for your program. Good luck in your efforts and please use this forum to ask additional questions about data collection and evaluation. Mike Eisenberg |
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8/5/2010 5:03pm
Our stakeholders have expressed interest in calculating how much money the program is saving. Is it possible to complete a real cost/benefit analysis? If not, what are some other ways we can demonstrate fiscal savings to the community? |
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8/9/2010 4:42pm
Hi Tamara, Cost/benefit analyses can be very complicated and controversial as people have different viewpoints of what are relevant costs and benefits (not to mention how difficult it can be to measure costs and benefits). The simpler and more common sense you can make your analysis the greater the credibilty you can achieve. For instance one simple cost/benefit formula for a mental health court would count the total cost or budget of the program as the “cost” portion of the analysis. The next step would be to try and determine if jail days were saved and hospitalizations were reduced for clients. You then could calculate the costs avoided by mulitplying the numnber of jail days saved times the cost of a jail day (don’t get me started on marginal costs) and similarly estimate the costs avoided by reduced hospital days. You could then sum up those benefits and determine if you had a net savings as measure by benefits that exceed costs. One method to determine jail days saved and hospitalization days saved would be to examine the prior experience of clients 6 or 12 months prior to the MH court and then collect the same information in the 6 or 12 months during or after program completion. None of these are easy tasks but can provided powerful data to support the benefits of your program. Mike Eisnenberg |
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