Case 10: Evaluating the Consultation and Education Department

The Greenby Community Mental Center is facing a dilemma that could eliminate the Consultation and Education Department. The education director must build an efficient program to show the usefulness of the consultation and education the center is providing to the community. The director will present a process evaluation measure and an outcome evaluation measure to the board of directors. The director will give an analysis of its effectiveness, along with the scope, purpose, and influence of the evaluation. In addition, the evaluation will help with recognizing the issues and challenges that may arise. The usefulness of the evaluation will give an explicit explanation for Greenby’s consultation and education department and its effect on the center.
Process Evaluation Measure
An evaluation will provide vital information concerning activities of the Greenby Community Health Center and unfold the effect of the activities on the clients (Lewis, Packard, & Lewis, 2007). The education director is responsible for providing information concerning the educational activities to help with making important decisions. The board of directors is facing a decision of closing the consultation and education department; however, the data from the evaluation will assist the director to show the need, cost, and effectiveness for the remaining open. The director will use the formative process evaluation to define the existence for the department and quantify program objectives. The formative process evaluation will give answers to fundamental questions, such as the services of the department, the community it serves, and cost. The use of quantitative and qualitative research methods will supply detailed data (Oxford Health Alliance, 2014). For instance, the in-depth interviews about the client’s experiences, observations describing the consultation and educational experiences, and case studies will support the evaluation process. A cost analysis will benefit the evaluation by displaying program benefits that outweigh the cost.
Outcome Evaluation Measure
The outcome evaluation is necessary for showing how the interventions of the consultation and educational department make significant changes in the lives of the clients and the community. The assessment describes the measurement of efficiency and effectiveness. The efficiency measures the cost benefit and responds to questions in reference to the total resources for accomplishing the operation of the department. The effectiveness of the evaluation measures the degree of accomplishments by the department to meet the social needs of the people (Poverty Action Lab, 2010). The process will state the theory of change for the organization. One theory is there will be an increase in the number of participants. Another theory is the consultation and education department have a direct effect on other departments. The workshops create clients and referrals and educate people improve their well-being. The workshops will generate sufficient funds to support the organization. The outcomes are measurable and cover a mixture of workshops and consultations to educate the community with family therapy. The outcome evaluation process will have outcome indicators to measure the progress of the clients attending workshops and the increasing numbers from referrals (James Bell Associates, 2007). The issues with the outcome evaluation explain the provisions of the planned training, and the degree to which the activities of the program diverge from the original plan. Also, the outcome evaluation will reveal the achievement of desired effects, such as cost-effectiveness, effective staff, improvement in the lives of clients, and unforeseen outcomes.
Scope, Purpose, and Influence of the Evaluation
An evaluation will improve the design of the program and implementation. It can help detect areas for change and assist with recognizing goals more