Donna Brooks

Fall 2018 HMSV 440

I have learned a lot from the work and experiences within this course. I have learned how to effectively conduct a program evaluation. I have learned all the steps involved with doing and effective evaluation. I have also learned what is needed to effectively run an agency. This is vital to my future as a human services professional. When dealing with agencies and programs evaluations and the methods use to do these, are a great way to find out what kinds of services are available to help the clients that you are working with. It is also helpful to understand that evaluations maybe helpful, especially when it comes to funding such agencies. As a future human services professional I think it is helpful for me to know things such components as research methods, research, population, stakeholders.

It is vital to know what kinds of services need to be offered and through program evaluations within the agency and the community this can be done. Knowing and utilizing stakeholders is a great way to make changes within a program and get certain feedback and outcomes. Knowing how to effectively evaluate and agency or program leads to providing quality services. The task within this course has really helped me in planning my evaluation. The breakdown of different task, the research planning, and knowing the purpose of the evaluation is what really has allowed me to get a better understanding of evaluations. Having a research plan has also helped me with my findings and helped me to get a better grip on what it was I was searching for. Finding out that the agency I evaluated also does evaluations within the agency, with clients, was a great way for me to see what my future is like as a human service professional.

I was also able to use the knowledge I gained from the annotated bibliography. I was asked by the agency to look up different statistics about elderly abuse and child abuse that relates to sexual/domestic abuse. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1egBoBSosRLicHsYe9LSPLgxsEffqNb0Ij-2bMW70eTQ/edit

There is a lot involved when it comes to evaluations. I never knew this much information was available as far as evaluations go. I learned that evaluations are very important within an agency. I know that all the  information I learned will be helpful and useful in my future as a human services professional. If I plan on working within and agency or program there are things I need to know in order to effectively help run the program. This course has definitely done that. I learned a lot within the agency as well. They also do research and this course has helped me in helping them do some research. They do evaluations and get community input and they have shown me that community input is very important. Having stakeholders input is important as well, they know people within the community that can help with services for the agency. I enjoyed the agency I evaluated and I think it is helpful to know the services they provide. https://www.madelineshouse.org/