Evaluating your program
During the InterGen project we learnt that most of our key stakeholders already knew there were multiple benefits to intergenerational social connection. They were keen to create their own context specific programs. What was missing were opportunities to evaluate and report the impact of these programs to others, which is vital in order for community stakeholders to get ongoing support for their programs. We trialed a number of evaluation techniques during the InterGen project. The toolkit presents three easy to use methods to assess impact of intergenerational programs over time. The tools should be quick and easy to use, and should be used to track the use and impact of programs by participants. All can be used over time, and across multiple cohorts. All of the evaluation tools ask for personal information about a participants’ thoughts, feelings and attitudes, so you will need to consider ethical consent before use.
How to use our evaluation tools
Attitudes toward ages survey document
This is a survey should be used to assess attitudes toward older and younger age groups. You can use this tool at the beginning of a program to show the prevailing attitudes of the group.
Alternatively, you can use the tool at both the beginning and end of the program to track any attitudinal changes in larger, or more formal programs where you can be assured that you will have the same number of participants from beginning to end.
It is also useful to consider uploading this survey to an online tool like Google forms or SurveyMonkey so that the analysis is completed for you. Do ensure that the chosen platform meets both both international standards (e.g. ISO27001) and organisational policies and practice guidelines around data collection, storage and use.
Program impact survey
This is a qualitative program impact survey should be used to assess the impact that the program had on participants. You can use this tool at the end of a program to gather documentary evidence of the features of the program that most resonated with the participants.
Qualitative methods are useful for gaining deeper insight into the experience of the participants and can be used to refine the program features, or provide ‘quotable’ evidence of impact in further funding applications.
Video interviews – documentary evidence and case studies
Video interviews are a method that can be used to collect documentary evidence of the impacts of program by way of direct question and answer, or through short stories and case studies.
Video evidence is becoming an increasingly useful way to visualise the activities and impacts within community programs.
Participant observer methods – facilitator or program evaluation
Participant observation is a method that can be used to evaluate the program setting and activities when thinking about the development of an intergenerational program over time. It is also useful to collect documentary evidence of the positive impacts of program by way of small case studies based on observation. For example, the InterGen project team used participant observation to find out more about some of the relationships that were forming between participants.
Some care needs to be taken with participant observation. The method requires the observer to be immersed in the activities of the participants, which means that a facilitator would find it difficult to conduct both the method and the program, and a second person in to observe would need to be managed properly so that the participants do not feel 'under surveillance'.