Agner, J., Barile, J. P., & Smith, A.
American Evaluation Association 2016 Conference: Evaluation + Design, Atlanta, G.A.
Publication year: 2016

One of the primary challenges in evaluation is designing tools that can be sustained by the organization itself. This presentation demonstrates how this challenge was encountered in an evaluation with an intensive case management plus program on Oahu, Hawai`i (ICM-Plus). ICM-Plus serves individuals, on average, 50 consumers who are facing housing insecurity, legal encumberment, medical and psychiatric instability, chronic lack of insurance, and substance abuse. While the ICM-Plus team members are expert at case management, their information management provided little insight to team members, management, or funding agencies about the quality of services. Through a collaborative, capacity building process, the evaluation team assisted in re-organizing existing data and analyzing it through growth modeling to show consumer change over time. While the immediate results of the evaluation serve a purpose, this presentation examines the challenges and successes of a broader goal: incorporating those designs into daily practice to promote evaluation sustainability.