Program Planning Presented by: Saskatchewan Literacy Network March 2007

Evaluation Implementation Design & Planning

Think about a good experience in a program in which you have participated. What are some of the things that made it a positive experience? What makes a good program?

What is program planning? A process that involves:  Assessing need and/or identifying ideas  Researching an idea  Building support and involvement  Developing a program plan  Developing an evaluation plan  Finding resources and/or financial support  Asking questions

Put another way… Where are we? Where do we want to go? Why are we going there? Who are we working with? How will we get there? What do we need to make it happen? How will we know we’ve arrived?

Successful planning happens when there is… A shared vision Long-term commitment Leadership Resources Support Realistic assessment of current situation Questioning A desire to build on past successes An inclusive, team approach Strong commitment to the issue Time to plan Time to evaluate

Planning bridges the current situation and our vision of the future.

First things first Engaging others early in the process.

Your task: Brainstorm a list of people/organizations who currently support the work you do. Brainstorm another list of people who may be supporters or collaborators in the future.

Why is early community participation important? “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” Wheatley, 2002

Where are we? Assessing the current situation.

Your task: draw a community map ParticipantsWhat is currently happening? PartnersHow is it happening? FundersStrengths ResourcesInterests ContextNeeds

Where do we want to go? Your vision

Building the Bridge: Program Planning

Why are we going there? “Adult educators have spent the last fifty years trying to develop ever more sophisticated approaches to planning…We have suffered from a fixation on linear, tidy, and familiar models that treat a complex social process as unproblematic. It is time that we shifted focus from finding the perfect planning model to asking the right questions.” (Sork, 2000)

Planning is messy and creative!

The messy stage doesn’t last forever, although it can feel like that. But if we suppress the messiness at the beginning, it will find us later on, and then it will be disruptive. (Wheatley, 2002)

When you are planning… In addition to: Applying techniques  Guidelines  Suggestions  Checklists  How to’s  Steps How about: Posing questions Thinking about the political and ethical factors involved with planning.

Your task: Why this vision? Why are we going there? What could happen? In whose interest? How do you know this is in their best interest? Why is it important to move in this direction? Why should resources be put into it?

Who are we working with? Go back to your list of people and organizations that are or could be supporters and collaborators.  Identify those who you will work with.  At what point do you invite their involvement?  What type of involvement are you inviting?

Where do we want to go? Translating your vision into goals and objectives. Goals: “broad statements of purpose or intent for programs.” Objectives: “provide clear statements of the anticipated results to be achieved through the program.” Source: Caffarella, 2002

Examples Goal To increase business and industry’s awareness of literacy. Objectives To develop informational resources about workplace literacy. To ____________

Your task: writing goals and objectives Based on your community map and your vision, write: One goal One to three objectives

How will we get there? Activities  Processes, tools, events and actions that are part of implementation Timeframe

What do we need to make it happen? Examples of resources: Staff Staff Training Supplies Facilities Equipment Travel/transportation Childcare Publicity

Your task: Identifying activities, timeframes and resources 1. Choose one of your objectives. 2. Brainstorm activities for that objective. 3. Identify a timeframe or timeline for the objective. 4. List the resources (human, financial, organizational, community) that you need to enable you to achieve your objective.

How will we know we’ve arrived? “If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you gonna’ know when you get there?” -- Yogi Berra

Your intended results or products Outputs: what is produced by a project or program. Your objectives are usually achieved as outputs (ie. Number of people trained, number of calls to a hotline, number of books distributed, number of students enrolled). Outcomes (short, 1-3 years): the results and consequences of implementing a program/project (ie. Number or percentage of participants who increase their literacy skills after participation in the program). Impact or Long-term Outcome (4-10 years): the long- term results of the program or project (ie. Number of participants who went on to further education or employment).

SMART outcomes and impacts  Specific  Measurable  Action-oriented  Realistic  Timed

Your task: Identifying your intended results Use the objective you worked on during the last task. List all the potential results  During  Immediately afterwards  Short term  Long term

Evaluation Provides information that helps you figure out how successful your program has been in achieving your objectives.

Who, When, Where and How? When will you collect data? Where will you collect the data? From whom will you collect? Who will do the collecting? What type of data will you collect? How will you use and communicate the results?

When do you collect data? Two types of evaluation Formative  Focuses on collecting information to improve a program  Helps to “form” the program Summative  Focuses on collecting information to prove how successful the program was  Helps to “summarize” the effectiveness of a program

Where will you collect the data? Program site At the program In the community (specifically: ______) Other?

Who will do the collecting? Evaluating programs takes time. Consider who will be responsible for evaluating and set aside time for evaluating.

From whom will you collect data? Participants Community members Program facilitators Others?

Evaluation techniques ObservationsInterviews Written QuestionnairesTests Product reviewsPerformance reviews Organizational or Community records Portfolios Self-assessmentFocus group Cost-benefit analysisOther?

How will we communicate the results? Written reportExecutive summary Series of short reports Oral sharing/reports Case study report Brochure Electronic sharing PresentationOther?

How will the results be used? To inform and gain support To influence decisions To document To demonstrate accountability To market

Questions? Contact the Saskatchewan Literacy Network at: Phone: (306) Toll-free:

Sources for this presentation: NWT Literacy Council  Planning Programs for Adult Learners (2002)  Rosemary Caffarella Planning Educational Programs (2000)  Thomas Sork  In the Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education Logic Model Development Guide (2001)  W.K. Kellogg Foundation 

Reading the word… Reading the world.