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SGC Catalyst Model Multi-benefit projects Model: Ongoing Program Evaluation, Verification, and Feedback to Achieve Outcomes

Evaluation is both a process and a product to meet internal and external program needs. To address the needs of internal and external stakeholders, an evaluation plan should support the successful project and program implementation, provide evidence of success, and serve as a model for future evaluation efforts.

Outcomes

  • Creates transparency and accountability to original project goals and community needs
  • Collects community-relevant data for use in future funding or advocacy efforts
  • Adapts and improves programs in real-time
  • Allows program administrators to understand how a program is operating, show whether it is working as intended, determine whether it has achieved its objectives, and identify areas for improvement.

How to Do This

Require regular reporting across all areas and phases of project implementation.

The TCC Round 5 program guidelines also require grantees to conduct regular reporting across all areas and phases of project implementation from grantees and third-party evaluators. TCC grantees are responsible for four categories of reporting:

Progress Reports:

  • Bimonthly progress reports will be submitted with each invoice and will track the work completed during the invoice period.
  • Annual progress reports will report on the overall status of the grant. They will include high-level questions not captured in the bimonthly updates.

Budget Reports:

  • Leverage funding expenditures will be reported annually and at the end of the grant term.
  • An inventory of purchased equipment will be reported annually and at the end of the grant term.
  • Detailed Work Plans and Budgets will be revised on a regular basis. These documents will contain more detail than the grant agreement and will be used as administrative tracking tools between the Grantee and the state.

Data Collection and Indicator Tracking:

Grantees must comply with the stages of data collection and indicator tracking, as described in Section II.E.

Close-Out Reports:

  • Project Close-out reports will be submitted as each project completes all work plan deliverables.
  • A Final report will be submitted at the end of the grant term.

Allocate a minimum share of awarded grant funds toward third-party evaluation.

The TCC Round 5 program guidelines require applicants to allocate a minimum of three percent (3%) of their budget for data collection and indicator tracking as follows:

  • Three percent (3%) will be used to hire a pre-qualified third-party Evaluation Partner, which will assist with tracking and documenting the TCC Project’s progress and impact (please see Section IV for more information);
  • In addition to the three percent (3%) budget allocation, the Lead and Co-Applicants must ensure adequate budget is allocated to costs to gather data and report to the Evaluation Partner and participate in evaluation activities such as focus groups, surveys, and interviews. Based on previous TCC awards, two to three percent (2-3%) of the total TCC award will cover Lead and Co-Applicant costs for indicator tracking and program evaluation activities. The Lead and Co-Applicants can include this in their direct costs.”