Assignment: Drafting a Process Assessment
The steps for process Assessment outlined by Bliss and Emshoff (2002) may seem very similar to those for conducting other types of Assessment that you have learned about in this course; in fact, it is the purpose and timing of a process Assessment that most distinguish it from other types of Assessment. A process Assessment is conducted during the implementation of the program to evaluate whether the program has been implemented as intended and how the delivery of a program can be improved. A process Assessment can also be useful in supporting an outcome Assessment by helping to determine the reason behind program outcomes.
There are several reasons for conducting process Assessment throughout the implementation of a program. Chief among them is to compare the program that is being delivered to the original program plan, in order to identify gaps and make improvements. Therefore, documentation from the planning stage may prove useful when planning a process Assessment.
For this Assignment, you either build on the work that you completed in Weeks 6, 7, and 8 related to a support group for caregivers, or on your knowledge about a program with which you are familiar. Review the resource “Workbook for Designing a Process Assessment”.
By Day 7
Submit a 4- to 5-page plan for a process Assessment. Include the following minimal information:
A description of the key program elements
A description of the strategies that the program uses to produce change
A description of the needs of the target population
An explanation of why a process Assessment is important for the program
A plan for building relationships with the staff and management
Broad questions to be answered by the process Assessment
Specific questions to be answered by the process Assessment
A plan for gathering and analyzing the information
