Evaluation Skills & Capacity Building
Funders have growing expectations for reporting the impact of their investment in your organization. This adds complexity to an already complex world and non-profit organizations need to be able to evaluate and report outcomes in a responsible and repeatable manner.
Terrapin helps non-profit organizations build evaluation capacity in a way that minimizes disruption and cost while developing needed evaluation tools and skills.
Case Study
Who
The Stop Community Food Centre's Community Action Program
Challenge
Review 12-years of performance data for a legacy action and advocacy program - to inform a new 3-year strategic and operating plan.
Approach
Collaborative Zoom-based coaching supported a detailed review of program records including previous program evaluation reports, community research findings, surveys, interviews and internal reports resulting in a retrospective report and 3-year forward-looking program plan.
Reviewing and revising the original program logic model and theory of change with program staff and community research team.
Teaching and learning to build staff capacity, align program objectives with desired outcomes, develop useful evaluation strategy and program evaluation tools.
Outcomes
Our client was supported in producing a fulsome report to a funder and set the stage for renewed program funding, program improvements with skills and strategy for ongoing evaluation.
“Our agency worked with Terrapin on an important, time-sensitive project during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stephen and Trace were very sensitive to our (shifting) needs and timelines. They were a great ‘sounding board’ and did an excellent job at incorporating our peer researchers in the process. Their advice and expertise was invaluable to our 12 year review & renewal project. Terrapin is also committed to capacity development and I learned skills that I can use on future projects.”