For evaluation of the program Assignment Civics 101 Program in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County was chosen. It is noteworthy that this program of the local government of Charlotte-Mecklenburg aims to familiarize the residents of this city with the work of the local government itself. The primary audience of the program is tourists or immigrants and permanent residents of the city (League of Women Voters of Charlotte Mecklenburg, n.d.). The program is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. According to Civics 101 Program, “the participant outcomes include: becoming an informed citizen is in the know, learning how local government works” (League of Women Voters of Charlotte Mecklenburg, n.d., para. 4). The evaluation design will focus on a comparative assessment of participants’ knowledge pre-program and post-program. The program increases literacy among citizens of Charlotte-Mecklenburg regarding the structure and functioning of local government. For an evaluation design for this program, I will choose the survey method. It might be helpful to collect necessary information from many participants of the Civics 101 Program. The interview with the program’s stakeholders also can provide details and facts about the program.
A collaborative approach to project evaluation is discussed in the Berner and Bronson project evaluation article. The main idea of it is to involve in the evaluation of the agency or program being evaluated. The primary tool for this approach is close cooperation with stakeholders (Berner & Bronson, 2003). I find this aspect of the collaborative approach particularly useful. In my opinion, a collaborative approach is an effective tool that will produce objective results in program evaluation because it allows getting information from the first sources, which are stakeholders. I believe this approach is suited only for the local government due to the significant level of security in higher levels of government such as state or federal governments. However, I am concerned that some stakeholders will not collaborate in the evaluation process.
References
Berner, M., & Bronson, M. (2005). A case study of program evaluation in local government: Building consensus through collaboration.Public Performance & Management Review, 28(2), 309-325. Web.
League of Women Voters of Charlotte Mecklenburg. (n.d.). Civics 101 program. Web.