Beyond Measure?
The State of Evaluation and Action in Ontario's Youth Sector
What are the critical conversations we need to have around evaluation challenges and opportunities in Ontario's youth sector?
In order to inform the development of our services and to have a greater understanding of the current evaluation capacity of the youth sector, YouthREX undertook a province-wide survey early in 2015. This study examined the experiences of youthserving agencies with conducting evaluation of their programs and services.
The report provides a ‘point-in-time’ description and analysis of evaluation issues in the youth sector, including current practices, barriers, capacities, perceptions and aspirations related to evaluation. Based on the findings of the study, we provide
10 recommendations on how the youth sector can develop responsive evaluation processes and practices that are uniquely suited to the organizational, social and political realities of grassroots youth programs.
This report presents findings from our survey of 197 youth-serving and youth-led organizations across Ontario and 60 key informant interviews with youth sector stakeholders.
YouthREX acknowledges that evaluation is sometimes ‘political’. Starting where grassroots youth programs are, and understanding what their concerns with evaluation are opens up the space to thoughtfully address these concerns and discuss how research and evaluation can be ‘leveraged’ to improve outcomes for youth, which is what the sector is passionate about.
THE FULL REPORT
Read the full report complete with a literature review and an in-depth analysis of our survey and key informant interview data.
FACTSHEET
This factsheet highlights important findings on evaluation capacity in Northern Ontario based on in-depth interviews conducted for the Beyond Measure? study.
THE MINI REPORT
Don’t feel like reading 50+ pages? Click here for our mini ‘at a glance’ version for all the key details you need to get the full picture of Beyond Measure?.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS
Beyond Measure? offers 10 recommendations to three youth sector stakeholder groups: funders, capacity building organizations and youth-serving organizations.
THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This 2-page Executive Summary will give you all the basic details of this study, including our findings, key messages and recommendations to youth sector stakeholders.