The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
Volume lll, Number 3&4, 1997
Issue Topic: Community-Based Initiatives
New & Noteworthy
The New & Noteworthy section features an annotated list of papers, organizations, and initiatives related to the issue’s theme.
Dewar, T. (1997). A guide to evaluating asset-based community development: Lessons, challenges, and opportunities. A community building workbook. Evanston, IL: The Asset-Based Community Development Institute, Northwestern University. This document provides guidance about how evaluation strategies can more actually improve the work of community builders. It identifies and clarifies the most important issues and dilemmas that come up in trying to evaluate community-building projects and suggests ten important principles for those wishing to implement evaluation strategies which are appropriate for this work.
Fulbright-Anderson, K., Kubisch, A. C., & Connell, J. P. (1997). New approaches to evaluating community initiatives, volume II: Theory, measurement, and analysis. Washington, DC: Aspen Institute. This volume explores the contribution a theory of change approach to evaluation makes to the fields of community revitalization and human development. An introductory paper provides an overview of the approach, followed by a set of papers by evaluators describing their experiences carrying out a theory of change evaluation. Other papers discuss the challenges associated with measuring community change and with collecting community-level data and the problem of causality in complex community initiatives.
Redefining Progress. (1997). The community indicators handbook. Measuring progress toward healthy & sustainable communities. San Francisco, CA: Author. This handbook aims to assist communities in developing new measures of their overall health and well-being. It presents communities with how-to's and resources for tailoring an indicator project to their specific needs. Appendices include a directory of indicator projects nationwide, sample menus of categories and indicators, and a collection of useful data sources and organizational resources.
Rogers, S. (1997). Engaging and empowering community and program staff in evaluation. Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development. This paper, used as a basis for a presentation at an evaluation forum entitled Critical Issues in HIV Prevention Evaluation, examines the issue of including staff and community members in evaluation. The paper discusses several ways of conducting evaluations as a context for discussing approaches to engaging and empowering community and program staff members, including utilization-focused evaluation, empowerment evaluation, and the HIV prevention collaborative institute.
Rossi, P. H. (1998). Evaluating community development programs: Problems and prospects. In R. Ferguson & W. Dickens (Eds.), Community development programs. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institute. This chapter describes current evaluation research in the area of comprehensive community initiatives, including policy formation evaluation research, diagnostic program research, and impact and efficiency research. It includes a discussion of the issues that arise in evaluating community development programs, discusses the prospects for developing practical CDP evaluation procedures, and sets forth a series of topics for which further research is necessary. It criticizes current non-experimental impact assessment evaluations as being flawed and advocates for random experiments using communities as the unit of analysis. It also strongly supports the use of process evaluations for program improvement but not for impact assessment.
W. K. Kellogg Foundation. (1997). Evaluation handbook for W. K. Kellogg Foundation grantees. Battle Creek, MI: Author. This handbook provides a framework for thinking about evaluation as a relevant and useful program tool. Part One presents an overview of the Foundation's philosophy and expectations for evaluation, a summary of the most important characteristics of the Foundation's evaluation approach, a review of the historical context of evaluation, and an overview of the Foundation's three levels of evaluation (project-level evaluation; cluster evaluation; and program and policymaking evaluation). Part Two provides a blueprint for planning, designing, and conducting project-level evaluation, using case study examples. To order a copy of the handbook, contact Collateral Management Company, 616-964-0700. Ask for Item #1203.
Walsh, J. (1997). Stories of renewal: Community building and the future of urban America. New York: The Rockefeller Foundation. This report uses five case studies of community building projects to illustrate issues such as: engaging with government systems such as schools, welfare departments, and the criminal justice system; building local institutions; investing in outreach and organizing; involving the corporate sector; and developing new structures of governance and participation. The report highlights lessons about community-building, and includes a discussion of the importance of leadership and of facing racial issues constructively.
The Wingspread Journal. This journal is published quarterly by the Johnson Foundation. Each issue reports on one of the Foundation's four program priorities: enhancing learning productivity; developing civil and civic community; encouraging the involvement of adults in the lives of children and youth; and fostering sustainable community development. To receive a free subscription, call 414-681-3351, fax: 414-681-3327, or email: wingsprd@execpc.com.
Lousia Lund, Research Intern, HFRP
Karen Horsch, Research Specialist, HFRP