Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
Evaluating Your Efforts
It is important to evaluate local community coalition efforts, not just to add to the knowledge base, but also because coalitions can reap many benefits from the process of evaluation itself.
Some of the reasons to evaluate your coalition include:
Because you want to document and better understand your activities. Understanding what you and your coalition partners are actually doing can help guide decision-making. Ask who is involved? What activities are being undertaken? What challenges are being encountered? What are the coalition’s strengths and weaknesses?
Because you want feedback that will help you develop or improve your coalition activities. Don’t fear evaluation. The results can be used to improve or modify activities and increase the chances of success. Don’t take constructive criticism personally; consider suggestions as a way to meet the needs of your community.
Because you want to know if your coalition has successfully achieved what it set out to accomplish. Have activities reduced the availability of drugs? Is the incidence of substance abuse among youth declining? Are there more drug-free opportunities for families? Has the safety and security of your neighborhoods increased? Are there fewer drug-related arrests?
Because information about successes can be important for securing funding and assuring sustainability. Evaluation information that demonstrates your coalition has made significant progress or has been successful in achieving its stated outcomes improves your case for additional funding.
Because it is required. Operation UNITE requires recipients of its anti-drug funding to document the results of their activities and how the money was used.
Evaluations should be conducted on a regular basis by each coalition committee. Whenever possible those responsible for a project should meet upon its conclusion to critique the event. A report should be prepared and entered into the coalition minutes so it is available the next time you wish to conduct the project. A brief "Action Plan Progress Report" is submitted to UNITE for each project and may be used as a starting point for coalition planning.
Information used in an evaluation may be solicited from your target audience. What did they think? What ideas do they have to make another event flow smoother? Did the activity have its desired effect? You might also be able to gauge the success of your project by reports (news articles, letters to the editor, editorials) in the local media. If you are in need of empirical data, check with local health planning departments, law enforcement agencies, hospitals and social services organizations. These groups generally employ staff to collect and analyze data and trends. If you are seeking an evaluation of your coalition’s overall operation you may be able to work with your local university or community college.
UNITE will feature the region’s most successful projects on its website for other coalitions to use in their communities. Your Coalition Coordinator will assist in gathering information needed for this listing.
Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
Official Site of Operation UNITE
2292 S. Highway 27, Somerset, KY 42501
606-677-6179 ● Toll Free 1-866-OP-UNITE ● Fax 606-677-6166
Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
