Publication Summary

Evaluating Environmental Education and Outreach Programs: Workshop Materials Developed for the Washington State Department of Ecology Coordinated Prevention Grant Recipients

In Winter 2003 the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) contracted with Applied Research Northwest (ARN) to conduct a set of trainings for Coordinated Prevention Grant (CPG) recipients who are conducting environmental education and outreach programs. The purpose of the workshops was two-fold:

1. CPG grant officers and administrators were responding to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee′s (JLARC) recommendations that CPG require evaluation of funded programs.

2. Grant recipients needed to be prepared to implement some evaluative measures for the upcoming grant cycle.

The specific JLARC recommendations are intended to lead to the following outcomes:

-An increase in systematic collection and sharing of information

-A shift from a focus only on program processes (outputs) to include program outcomes (results).

-The streamlining and integration of program services

-Ensuring that funding agencies work together

The purpose of adding evaluative measures to current and often on-going programs is to improve the program managers′ understanding of the programs′ outcomes themselves and not to convert the grant funding into a competitive process. Because CPG monies require mandatory distribution, a competitive application is inappropriate to use.

The value of evaluating programs is to better understand which program components are most effective and to respond to evaluative information with program changes that may improve the effectiveness of the programs by providing better education.

This document outlines the information presented during the four-hour training sessions. It is by no means a comprehensive guide to program evaluation and assessment; however, it provides a useful overview and some tools for implementing and assessing current programs. In addition, it provides references to supplementary guides and texts that are less specific to Environmental Education program assessment, yet more detailed with regard to research and assessment methods.