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Policy Development
Suggested Tools for Evaluating
Policy Development
The following tools can be used to assess community readiness for policy
change, clarify current policy issues, evaluate change as the result of
educational programs, and assess policy change.
There are three main categories of tools:
1. Community Assessment
2. Policy Education Program Assessment
3. Policy Change Assessment
Community Assessment
Benson, P. (1996). Healthy communities Healthy youth. Minneapolis, MN:
Search Institute.
This copyrighted material provides a framework for community assessment
focusing on 40 positive developmental assets. The assets are divided into
two categories, external (environmental) assets and internal (personal)
assets.
The Search Institute has various tools, publications, and services available
to help communities conduct community assessments. For more information
contact the Search Institute, 700 South Third Street, Suite 210, Minneapolis,
MN55415, Telephone (612) 376-8955. Internet address: http://www.search-institute.org/
Bruner, C., Bell, K., Brindis, C., Chang, H., and Scarbrough, W. (1993).
Chartering a course: Assessing a community's strengths and needs. National
Center for Service Integration, Columbia University, NY.
This copyrighted publication is a tool to help individuals gain a better
understanding about the needs and resources of a community and identify
the multiple systems serving families and youth . The publication outlines
how to conduct a community assessment and how to use the community assessment
to develop effective strategies to improve services to children, youth
and families.
For a copy of the write the NCSI Information Clearinghouse, national Center
for Children in Poverty, Columbia University, 154 Haven Avenue, New York,
NY 10332. Cost is $4.00.
Community Assessment. Southwest Regional Center For Drug-Free Schools
and Communities. Norman, OK: The University of Oklahoma Continuing Education
and Public Services.
This publication provides information to conduct a community assessment.
Worksheets include strategy assessment of various issues including youth,
adult, and environment. Contact the Continuing Education Homepage at the
University of Oklahoma for additional information. Internet address: http://www.occe.ou.edu/
Kretzmann, J. and McKnight, J. (1993). Building communities from the inside
out: A path toward finding and mobilizing a community's assets. Chicago,
IL: ACTA Publications.
This copyrighted material provides a comprehensive, step-by-step process
for assessing community capacity. The guide is designed to help community
members recognize and map community assets. The guide is divided into
six chapters. Chapters 1-3 address the categories of community assets.
Chapter 4 looks at economic factors. Chapter 5 outlines a planning process
that is inclusive of all community representatives and Chapter 6 offers
advice to outside (non-community) individuals engaged in the asset mapping
activity.
Monsey, B., Owen, G., Zierman, C., Lamberb, L., and Lyman, J. (1995).
Community Report Card. From What works in preventing rural violence: Strategies,
risk factors and assessment tools. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
This copyrighted material includes several tools for assessing rural violence
prevention program. One particular tool, the Community Report Card measure
service accessibility to youth and families.
Samuels, B. Ahsan, N. and Garcia, J. (1995). Know your community; A step-by
step guide to community needs and resources assessment. Chicago, IL: Family
Resource Coalition.
The community assessment process outlined in this guide includes:
1. establishing a community planning team
2. defining community boundaries
3. developing a statistical profile
4. assessing needs form residents' perspective
5. identifying assets and resources.
The guide also includes sample surveys, scripts, and other documents to
aid in data collection. The material is copyrighted. Contact the Family
Resource Coalition, 200 S. Michigan Avenue, 16th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604.
Telephone (312) 341-0900 for additional information.
Teen Assessment Project (TAP), Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin, Madison.
The teen assessment project developed by the Cooperative Extension Service
at the University of Wisconsin, Madison is a measurement tool for assessing
youth. For additional information contact Stephen Small, Family
Relations Specialist @CES.UWEX.EDU or telephone 608-263-5688.
Policy Education Program Assessment
Bilchik, S. (1995). Title V delinquency prevention program; Community
self-evaluation workbook. Office of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. Fairfax, VA: Caliber Associates.
Although this workbook is designed to assess the success of delinquency
prevention programs, the forms could be easily adapted for use in a variety
of projects/ programs. The workbook includes numerous forms designed to
aid in the planning of programs, conduction evaluations, tracking and
describing activities, monitoring data, and measuring outcomes and performance
indicators. The workbook was developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency prevention . For information please visit the OJJDP homepage.
Internet address: http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/
(look under grant work).
Family T.I.E.S. Confidential Questionnaire. (1995). Family T.I.E.S. Coalition.
Creston, IA.
The Family T.I.E.S. is measurement tool used for assessing the awareness
and use of community services in one specific Iowa county. The tool was
developed by an interagency coalition group in Creston, IA. For more information
contact Sharon Wasteney, Union County Extension Education Director, 105
W. Adams, Suite B, Creston, IA 50801. Telephone (515) 782-8426.
Flora, C., Goddard, K., Kinsley, M., Luther, V., Wall, M., Odell, S.,
Ratner, S., and Topolsky, J. (1997). Working toward community goals: helping
communities succeed. Ames, IA: North Central Regional Center for Rural
Development.
This workbook was designed to help communities learn how to measure the
concrete results of rural community development efforts but could easily
be adapted for use in the State Strengthening Projects.. The workbook
provides guidance to communities on possible ways to gather information
that measures progress toward community-established goals. The workbook
does provide sample indicators and measures of a variety of possible community
objectives.
Hahn, Alan J. (1992) Resolving public issues and concern through policy
education. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
This publication provides indicators for measuring the impact of public
policy education programs on individuals and issue resolution. Hahn describes
the issue resolution process and provides an educational intervention
model. This 8 stage model is a useful tool for evaluation progress toward
issue resolution. Included in the publication is a chart outlines outcomes
and indicators of each stage.
Hougen, R., Walker, K., Templin, E. and Ayres, J. (1993). Partners in
community leadership: Youth and adults working together for better communities.
Ames, IA: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. Iowa State
University.
This educational program is based on three themes: 1) focuses on the community
development; 2) encourages youth in community leadership and decision-making;
and 3) encourages youth and adults to form partnerships. The program acknowledges
youths have special capacities, abilities, and perspectives to offer when
working with community decision-making The program includes modules designed
to engage youth and adults in community assessment, problem identification,
program implementation and evaluation processes. Module 10 topic is evaluation
and includes activities to assess program progress.
Perkins, D. A method on presenting key concepts regarding positive youth
development to community audiences. Source: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/htmlgen.exe?DOCUMENT_HE793
The author provides a presentation format for presenting information about
youth to teachers, parent, county commissioners, etc. The method focuses
on the presentation of positive youth development instead of a focus on
deficits. The material identifies 16 external (environmental) assets and
14 internal (personal) assets as a basis of the presentation.
Policy Change Assessment
Bogenschneider, K. (1994). Family impact seminars: An approach for professional
to influence family policy. University of Wisconsin-Madison; Center for
Family Studies also can be found in: Consortium of Family Organizations
(COFO) Family Impact Questions, March 1990. Adapted from A Strategy for
Strengthening Families: Using Family Criteria in Policy making and Program
Evaluation. T. Oooms & S. Preister, EDS. A Consensus Report of the Family
Criteria Task Forces. Washington, DC: Family Impact Seminar, 1988.
Both of these articles include a tool for analysis of public policy proposals/programs.
Categories on the checklist include: family support and responsibilities,
family membership and stability, family involvement and interdependence,
family partnership and empowerment, family diversity, and targeting vulnerable
families.
Child Welfare Task Force (1995). Goals and indicators related to improvements
in child and family services system. Des Moines, IA: Department of Human
Services.
Goals and indicators related to improvement in child and family service
systems and goals and indicators related to child and family well-being
are included in this publication. Goals included in the service system
are: prevention-oriented, family-focused, community-based, outcome-driven,
culturally competent, and less categorical. Goals include in the well-being
category are: children will remain safely in their family home, increased
child functioning, safer families, more economical self-sufficient families,
and increased parenting competence or effectiveness.
Family Friendly Community Checklist. (1997). Friends of the Community,
interagency group, Dubuque, IA.
The tool was adapted for the "Family Policy Grid" a framework developed
in Canada by the Premier's Council in support of Alberta families. The
purpose of the tool is to assist community partners in self-assessing
how a community rates in "family friendliness" in its policies, programs
and practices. The tool has been designed around four hallmarks of a strong
family: stability, health, self-sufficiency and safety. For additional
information contact Beverly Berna, Dubuque County Extension Education
Director, 2600 Dodge Street, Plaza 20, Dubuque, IA 52001. Telephone: (319)
583-6496.
Gebeke, D., Jacobson, S., and McCaul, H. (1997) Workplace options: Fitting
together the workplace and personal life puzzle. Fargo, ND: North Dakota
Sate University Research and Consulting Committee.
This publication was developed to help businesses and employees review
workplace policies for "family-friendliness." Questions assessing workplace
policies and indicators of family-friendly polices are included in the
publication.
Galinsky, E., Friedman, D., & Hernandez, C. (1991). The corporate reference
guide. NY: Family and Work Institute.
Include in this publication is the survey tool, Work-Family Questionnaire,
which can be used to assess the "family-friendliness" of companies' policies.
The questionnaire is copyrighted, please contact the Family and Work Institute,
330 7th Ave., 14th Floor, New York, NY 10001. Telephone (212)- 465-8637
for additional information.
Henderson, R. (1995). Revision decisions, The American School Board Journal,
182(12), 24-27.
Although this article address policy development at the school district
level, the questions asked could be adapted for policy development in
various business agencies and coalition settings. The article asks 15
questions to help governing boards revamp policies:
The New Economic Equation 10-Step Guide: Work + Family + Community. Radcliffe
Public Policy Institute, Radcliffe College, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge,
MA 02138.
The Radcliffe Public Policy Institute has developed a 10-step question
guide to review the workplace, family, and community integration.
Jasperson, D. (1996). Advocacy for dads: The father-friendly assessment
tool. Minneapolis, MN: Family Information Services.
Jasperson offers a measurement tool for defining an organization's policy
toward father-friendliness. Key elements identified in a father-friendly
workplace include flextime; part-time employment options; child care assistance;
parenting resource and referral; parental leave options for special family
circumstance such as birth, adoption or illness; and a supportive work
environment that does not stigmatize or penalize fathers who demonstrate
a commitment to their families. The tool is copyrighted please contact
Family Information Services, Minneapolis, MN for additional information.
Monsey, B., Owen, G., Zierman, C., Lamberb, L., and Lyman(?), J. (1995).
Community Report Card. From What works in preventing rural violence: Strategies,
risk factors and assessment tools. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.
This copyrighted material includes several tools for assessing rural violence
prevention program. One particular tool, the Community Report Card measure
service accessibility to youth and families. Stevens, G. (1993). Impacting
private sector policy of families. NCR 489. Lincoln, NE: Cooperative Extension
Services, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
This publication includes a list of interview questions evaluating the
"family-friendly" of the workplace. The questions can be used in both
the public and private sector.
Young, N., Gardner, S., Coley, S. Schorr. L., and Bruner, C. (1994). Making
a difference: Moving to outcome-based accountability for comprehensive
service reforms, Des Moines, IA: National Center for Service Integration.
The national center for service integration resource brief provides various
frameworks to assist states and communities experimenting with outcome-based
accountability systems. Chapter 2 provides a systems framework that examines
outcomes based on the context of goals, strategies, and resources. Chapter
3 outlines a core list of child out outcome measures that could be used
on a community-wide basis to measure progress. Chapter 4 outlines a service
perspective of evaluation based upon six levels of measurement: service
penetration; family engagement; family growth; community embeddedness;
system response, climate for reform, and change; and community-wide family
well being. The material is copyrighted, please contact the National Center
for Service Integration, Des Moines, IA for additional information.
Indicators and Measures |
Annotated Bibilography |
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