Jay Naduvilekunnel

September 30, 2015

Reading Assignment 6a: Evidence Based Practice:
A Primer for Promise Neighborhoods

Background:
o Promise Neighborhoods: program developed under the US Dept. of Education to
improve educational outcomes for students in distressed neighborhoods
o PN based on other programs, most notably the Harlem Childrens Zone (which
has boosted academic outcomes of students dramatically)
Program allows non-profits to be eligible for grants that support the design
of comprehensive community programs
o This reading defines and explains evidence-based practice, and addresses
different factors that determine its use in communities

Intro to evidence-based practice

o Invest resources and energy in programs, services, and policies that have
empirical evidence demonstrating they work
o Trend: funders encouraging grantees to use evidence-based approaches
o Grant proposal for cradle-to-college solutions:
Propose solutions based on the best available evidence (strong or
moderate)
Moderate: Evidence from previous studies that can support causal
conclusions; may also include studies with high external validity
but moderate internal validity
Strong: Evidence from studies with designs that can support causal
conclusions; includes enough of the range of participants and
settings scaling up to the state, regional, or national level
Evidence must ask hard questions to determine if EBP is
appropriate, whether it may be implemented effectively, and reach
the scale that is central to the Promise Neighborhoods approach
Describe the evidence supporting each proposed solution

Evidence-based defined
o Best shown through the strong logic model that explains methods and
outcomes:

Source: Promise Neighborhood Institute (via CSSP)

Definitions of moderate and strong evidence focus on the last two levels of the stair step
o Studies supporting causal conclusions require a control group
Allows researchers to compare outcomes between groups receiving
intervention and those that do not
Studies demonstrating external validity have to be conducted in enough
settings to show that the same results may be replicated in different
communities/contexts

EBP suitability
o Risk: Communities and planners could prefer certain evidences behind different
interventions over other ones
May lead organizations to choose programs that may not have been fully
evaluated
o Organizations should evaluate the options and make sure that the program may be
replicated and sustained effectively
o Fit
Determine fit by understanding overall demographics and key
characteristics of a community
Questions to consider:
Would differences in certain populations be appropriate and
effective in others?
> Would adaptations work with the target population?
> > Are the adaptations equally effective? How might they impact
the effectiveness of the intervention (if the adaptation has not been
tested)?
o Understand how to implement the intervention using the same level of detail that
the original intervention used (with fidelity).

Take advantage of any resources that may better help understand

implementation processes
Make sure to have enough resources to implement intervention and limit
the staff-to-participant ratio
Budget accordingly
Unless your community has the capacity to implement an intervention
with fidelity or can reasonably build that capacity, the intervention is
probably not appropriate.
Be sure to review interventions regularly and mediate when problems
happen.
o Scalability (ability of an intervention to be expanded to serve a broader
audience) and Sustainability (ability to continue the intervention beyond the
initial investment)
Take into account all costs, resources, scale operation impacts, and
diversity factors into account

Harlem Childrens Zone Model

o Considerations for EBP adoption:
Staffing (appropriate training, availability may be crucial to success)
Training
Evaluation (plan and conduct observations to provide short- and long-term
feedback about implementation and overall outcomes)

Framing the Evidence

1. Why was a certain intervention chosen over another?
2. What is the evidence base?
3. If the chosen intervention was weaker than others, explain why it is more
appropriate to the needs of the community over other models.

Reflection
While this piece was not directly related to my project/location at a 5,000-ft scale, it was no less
a fascinating take on the thought processes necessary to properly implement different
intervention techniques. The story of the Harlem Childrens Zone is a remarkable one. The
program showed the success of the formation of public charter schools, neighborhood childrens
programs, and a system that continued to support former students on their way to college so
much so that it became a national model to combat poverty in urban areas. Though the system I
am studying (intersection at Port Republic Rd. and Bluestone Dr.) would not fall under the same
category, the same type of systems thinking involved in analyzing the place would still apply.
Specifically, suggestions for changes (from an urban planning view) are paralleled by similar
themes in the reading, namely:

The reasons for choosing design decisions

The suitability of resource and management choices

Reviewing the fit of the overall selections based on demographics and research

Reading Assignment 6b: Nonprofit Performance Management:

Using Data to Measure and Improve Programs

Background/Introduction
o Purpose of data collection: to better understand populations and how to serve
them
Also to identify areas of improvement
o The report focuses on a handful of case studies and their ways of using data
o Data: gathered set of quantitative and qualitative variables that may be analyzed
as useful information
Passive data collection: methods not involving active manual input (e.g.
web traffic analytics information)
o Outputs: things used to serve constituents or clients (products of the
organization)
o Outcomes: results achieved using the outputs
o Indicators: signs that point to the attainment of an outcome
o Metrics: measurable data for the chosen indicators
o Performance management: actions taken to ensure that goals are met efficiently
and effectively
Using Data to Improve Programs
o Six step framework for successfully using data for program improvement:
1. Define a goal for the data.
Does not have to be complicated, but rather specific and achievable
2. Identify data to gather to help reach that goal.
Choose data points to help inform progress towards a solution.
3. Store data accessibly.
Explore database options and understand that more complicated
systems may require more powerful software.
4. Establish a means of collecting data.
Ensure that the data is entered consistently and accurately
Provide the necessary training to ensure accuracy in data collection
and storage
5. Report and analyze the data (visualize it).
Choose the appropriate means of displaying the results effectively and
in an organized fashion
6. Make the data useful by using it to improve programs (acting on what
youve learned).
Assess data points to inform decisions, compare results, and
implement success strategies
Overcoming Barriers
o Common barrier: staff and volunteers gathering data and entering it into the
system
Understanding the value and context of the data

Data does not make the human element less important the human
element can be more impactful with data behind it. You need to find
the balance in those two things.
Overcome learning curve with training and allowing staff and
volunteers to demonstrate a working knowledge of the applications of
the data
Make data available to whoever needs it
o Also time-consuming due to lack of sharing
o Technological barrier: insufficient databases, and even no databases
Successful Data Practices
o Dont be afraid to start
Data gathering may be initially overwhelming
Consider the ultimate goals of the process
o Get stakeholder buy-in
Have all levels of the organization on board from the get-go
o Keep people engaged
Demonstrate that you are making the work easier for someone else
o Find someone to champion your project
Preferably someone passionate to lead an effort
Does not have to be someone in a higher position in the hierarchy;
enthusiasm is needed
o Make data a part of the culture
Familiarizing others with data collection processes
o Fund the project appropriately
o Clean your data
Enter it accurately and appropriately

Case Studies
1. Exhale: Oakland, CA
a. Data collection form generated after the nature of a phone call on the
companys talk line
i. Custom dashboards allow staff to access up-to-date data for
monitoring purposes
ii. Democratizing the data allows it to be readily accessible to
anybody who may need it
b. Benefits
i. Volunteers enter data in an organized and timely fashion better
performance evaluation
ii. Volunteers and staff find closure from the individual conversations
2. Yale University Library: New Haven, CT
a. Model data used to track cost per use on library items to reevaluate the
resources purchased by the library
i. Tracking demographics using electronic means

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

b. Gatecounting to track people and resources

c. Improvements to current system include new visualization tools
d. Inconsistencies lie in inaccurate collection methods (some librarians are active
about tracking data, while others are not)
Teach for All: New York, NY
a. Organization focused on solving education inequity by tracking over 300
data points all over the world
i. Data includes number of first-year teachers, number of students
reached, number of alumni teacher, subjects offered, expenditures,
etc.
ii. Data also considers geographic factors, including GDP, population,
and size for comparison purposes
iii. Exporting ridiculously time-consuming spreadsheet to real-time
method helpful for overcoming geographic/distance factors
iv. Training improved accuracy
Parents for Public Schools: Jackson, MS
a. Data used to track progress for regional chapters of a national non-profit
i. Previously stored on individual spreadsheets on multiple
computers, ultimately non-aggregated settled on Databank
database software, offering tech support, which took off a huge
burden on the companys lone IT worker
ii. Each chapter had access to the data, and cost was not a major issue
iii. Dashboards were helpful for workers to visualize the data
iv. Future improvements may include QR codes for mass datacollection at events, and mobile data capture
Chicago Benchmarking Collaborative: Chicago, IL
a. Alliance of seven agencies that work with low-income people in Chicago
i. Geographic barriers made it difficult for agencies to share
information
ii. It was decided that data would be shared using a common ETO
database system in real-time
iii. Rolling implementation helped ease overwhelming fears and led
to accurate and timely collection
City of New Orleans: New Orleans, LA
a. Data initiative to measure progress of goal to eliminate dilapidated and
abandoned area properties
i. Solution: BlightSTAT tracks data related to building code and
regulation; replaced old USPS method
ii. Goal met ahead of schedule and several new jobs created
Consumers Union: NYC; DC; Austin, TX; San Francisco, CA
a. Advocacy organization arm of Consumer Reports that collects consumer
stories, reviews them, and publishes the results
i. Creation of focus groups, increasing social media presence;
gathering data from these means and analyzing them through
visual methods

ii. Using the information to understand the people it represents, their

visions of the organization, and the effects of their actions

Reflection
I found this piece to be more applicable to the class project than the first reading. Since my study
deals with the collection of traffic and bike/ped demographics, it is extremely important that the
information is gathered in a timely fashion, stored in an organized manner, and easily shared and
understandable by anybody. Specifically, the six-step framework mentioned in the beginning of
the reading is a good basis for starting any data collection. While many of the takeaways in the
case studies are geared to larger companies and organizations, the same methods may apply to
any project where accuracy and accessibility play a key role in determining the success of a
project. I hope that by following the instructions in the report, I may better understand and
appreciate the methods necessary to gather information effectively.