Evaluation Toolkit

Increasingly media arts organizations are faced with the need to conduct rigorous evaluation as a means of program improvement. Pressure to evaluate comes from funders, executive boards, program staff, and other constituents with a stake in the organization. In 2003 NAMAC awarded Capacity Building Support Grants for Youth Program Evaluation. What follows are the field reports from youth media organizations that worked with evaluators to create indicators of success, design and field-test evaluation instruments, pilot specific evaluation methods, tabulate and report results, and create detailed evaluation plans. The examples have been compiled from the Bay Area Video Coalition, Community Arts Center, Educational Video Center, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and Street Level Youth Media.

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Evaluators

Find an evaluator by name or region:
Northeast - Shelley Pasnik
New York Area – Dr. JoEllen Fisherkeller
Appalachian - Tammy McGraw, Ed.D
Midwest – Cynthia Phillips
Northwest – Paula Manley
SF/Bay Area/National – Saul Rockman
Southwest – Lisa Tripp, Ph.D
Rocky Mountain – Cori Groth, Ph.D
Texas/National - Kathleen Tyner
Southeast/National – Dr. Cheryl Harris

 

 

Methodology

Methodology is a technique for collecting data. It can involve a specific instrument, a structured interview schedule, an examination of documents or participant observation.
Download these examples of methodologies used for evaluation (330K PDF file).

 

 

Instruments

Instruments are the tools used to conduct the evaluation such as a questionnaire, a survey, a focus group check list or rating scale. The development of instruments are critical to how the results will be analyzed.
Download these examples of instruments used for evaluation (319K PDF file).

 

 

Final Reports

A final report is created to showcase the findings of an evaluation after data analysis and offers recommendations for next steps.
Download these examples of final reports for evaluation (290K PDF file).

 

 

Evaluation Resources:

A Closer Look: Media Arts 2003 / Case Studies from NAMAC's Youth Media Initiative
A Closer Look: Media Arts 2003, edited by well-known media education scholar Kathleen Tyner showcases the work of a diverse range of rural and urban youth media programs across the United States. The journal also features a study of 59 youth media organizations who responded to an on-line poll about their capacity, missions, successes and challenges. Find out more.

 

W. K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook
This handbook is guided by the belief that evaluation should be supportive and responsive to projects, rather than become an end in itself. It provides a framework for thinking about evaluation as a relevant and useful program tool. Download for free.

W. K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide
This guide gives nonprofits and community members alike sufficient orientation to the underlying principles of "logic modeling" to use this tool to enhance their program planning, implementation, and dissemination activities. Download for free.

Valuing Evaluation: Youth Media Begins Proving Itself, by Cliff Hahn, Youth Media Reporter.

Youth Media Evaluation by Cliff Hahn, Youth Media Reporter.