Breakout: RIPL 101: Count Your Impact – Getting Started with Outcome-Based Evaluation
This session will also be offered on Tuesday at 10:45 AM-12:15 PM.
Your library offers a lot of great programs, resources, and services, but how can you determine what effects these have on your users?
In this session, you’ll learn practical tips for getting started with outcome-based evaluation of public programs, including:
- What types of data you need to collect to answer your evaluation questions
- How to measure outcomes (the changes that occur in participants in terms of skills, attitudes, behaviors, etc.)
- Using your results for program improvement, planning, and advocacy
Throughout the session, an emphasis will be placed on simple methods and tools that can be easily implemented when staff and other resources are limited.
You will get the most out of this session if you come with an evaluation project in mind. What is an evaluation project? It’s simply a program or service you offer to the public that you’re interested in evaluating. Here are some examples of projects past participants have used for this session:
- Teen maker series
- Early literacy outreach to preschools
- Job skills programs
- Tech tutoring
This session is recommended for participants who are new to data and evaluation as well as those who work in small and rural libraries.