From Data to Impact: Program Evaluation for New Agents
Early Career Development
Robyn Stewart
County Extension Coordinator
University of Georgia
Lincolnton
Abstract
New agriculture Extension agents often face challenges when developing and implementing effective program evaluations. Evaluations are crucial for assessing program efficacy, gathering feedback to enhance program quality over time, and demonstrating program value to stakeholders and Extension leadership. High-quality evaluation data can be used for reporting, impact statements, presentations, and publications, ultimately contributing to the body of knowledge in our field. Many Extension programs use the Logic Model of Program Planning, where agents evaluate both outputs and impacts at different stages—short, medium, and long-term. This approach helps measure program efficacy and illustrates its value.
Program evaluation can be broken down into three key components: (1) developing an effective evaluation tool, (2) implementing the evaluation strategy, and (3) analyzing and reporting the results. In this session, agents will be guided through each step of the process. We will discuss how to design evaluation tools that align with programmatic goals, strategies for obtaining strong participant responses, and how to transform evaluation data into meaningful impact statements, reports, and publications. By the end of the session, new agents will be equipped with the skills to demonstrate the impact of their programs through well-crafted evaluation data.
Authors: Robyn Stewart
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Robyn Stewart County Extension Coordinator, University of Georgia, Georgia, 30817