PROGRAM EVALUATION AND RESEARCH SERVICES

In close consultation with clients, our Associates design strategic research to identify opportunities for growth and development; recommend programs and services relevant to the user group and provide forward-looking, constructive and action-oriented evaluation of programs or service-delivery models.

Our services include:

• Needs assesment and program development
• Program evaluation
• Client service audits
• Evaluation of training
• Development of logic models
• Literature reviews
• Document and file reviews
• Process and questionnaire design for personal, telephone and mail surveys
• Qualitative research (focus groups and in-depth interviews)
• Employee engagement surveys
• Employee opinion surveys
• Community impact research
• Survey design, preparation and implementation
• Statistical analysis
• Management of survey subcontractors
• Management of computer analysis subcontractors
• Preparing and presenting strategic reports.

Recent Research-Related Accomplishments:

• For the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, we designed and conducted a program evaluation of a three-year-old piece of legislation to respond to wife assault. The evaluation report is being used to make adjustments mainly to implementation strategies for the legislation.
• For the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, Victim Services, we designed and implemented an evaluation of the partner contact component of a Partner Assault Response (PAR) program. The PAR program, delivered by Family Service and other community agencies, is a psycho-educational program for male batterers. As part of the program, agency staff contacts the female partners to offer support, assistance in safety planning and referrals to other services. Our evaluation provided the Ministry with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the partner contact, and provided benchmarks for future evaluation work.
• For the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, Victim Services, we designed and implemented an evaluation of the Men’s Project, a counselling program for male victims of childhood sexual trauma. The evaluation resulted in expansion of services for to this client group to other parts of Ontario.
• For the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services, we designed and conducted an evaluation of a joint initiative of Rogers Cantel Inc., Ericsson Communications Inc. and the Ministry to distribute pre-programmed cell phones to victims who are threatened with violence. On the basis of our evaluation, the program was substantially expanded across Ontario.
• As sub-contractor to Western Management Consultants, Dr. Herring designed and co-implemented a Compliance Audit of the Anti-Racism Systemic Change Program, a joint program of the Ministry of Public Safety & Security and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.
• For Ontario Power Generation, we conducted investigations on diversity-based workforce improvements in two work groups at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station.
• For Girl Guides of Canada, we conducted a nation-wide survey of youth members and leaders to identify opportunities for growth and renewal. This research was developed in tandem with a similar research project we designed and conducted for Girl Guides, Ontario Council. The projects included mail-out surveys to hundreds of youth members, leaders and trainers, and focus group discussions with girls and leaders.
• For Golder Associates, we conducted a study of the impact of an environmental project in Bangkok, Thailand on the women of that city. The project, conduct as part of a Canadian International Development Agency project, included interviews with women residents who would be affected by the project, and with representatives of Thai women's organizations, both government-related and non governmental organizations.

• For Mohawk College, Hamilton, Dr. Herring taught International Trade Research to both international and domestic students as part of the Forum for International Trade Training, sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. She taught the same course for Fanshawe College, London.

  For Ryerson Polytechnical University, Department of Continuing Studies, Dr. Herring taught a course in Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation. She has also designed a course for Red River College on the same topic.