How are custom measures developed? My colleagues who are measurement specialists lament that the most common way that custom measures are developed is for someone on the project team to “just start writing items.” If this approach actually worked well for the making measures, I wouldn’t be so hard on it, but the truth is…
In my last blog post about measurement, I wrote about why an evaluation consultant may encourage you to use a validated measure in your project. In the conclusion to that piece, I promised that I would also explain when a tailor-made questionnaire would be more appropriate. To cut to the chase: custom measures will be…
To honor the dedication and teamwork displayed by our talented staff this past year, EVALCORP planned a sun-filled picnic on Friday July 14. Team members joined together from Irvine, Los Angeles, and even Houston, TX at the beautiful Laguna Niguel Regional Park in Orange County. To infuse an element of fun into the day, a…
The City of Irvine—where EVALCORP’s headquarters are located—hosts several active adult sports leagues. We’ve been honored to have the opportunity to sponsor one of the teams in their softball league since 2022! In fact, we’re now in our 5th season of sponsoring Irvine’s D2 Coed Softball Division, the Rebellion Dogs – an amazing team of…
Since 1949, the month of May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. It marks May as a month dedicated to bringing attention to and eliminating the shame associated with mental health challenges. This month at EVALCORP, we are asking: What role do evaluators play in raising awareness about mental…
In our second blog post in this series, we briefly reviewed the framework trauma-informed care (TIC) and discussed some broadly applicable practices that apply that framework to interacting with individuals who have experienced trauma. There are various points in the EVALCORP Project Cycle where we utilize TIC. Today, we will focus on two specific processes…
As part of our series on trauma-informed evaluation approaches, we first delved into different ways trauma is defined and how it impacts individuals or groups. Because trauma is widespread and can have such a strong impact on individuals or groups, it is pertinent to understand how to best engage with and support individuals who have…
At EVALCORP, when we collaborate on a program evaluation or needs assessment, we value meeting our clients where they are by understanding what informs their perspective. This initial understanding creates a strong connection from the project start, which in turn supports communication and leads to more meaningful collaboration throughout the project cycle. Our approach does…
May 9th is National Fentanyl Awareness Day where we come together to recognize the efforts of our clients and others around the U.S. working to educate communities about the dangers associated with fentanyl use and continue our ongoing collaborative prevention efforts to save lives. Recently, EVALCORP had the great honor of presenting Ventura County Behavioral…
Growing up, I saw how much time and effort my parents as well as other family members put into their jobs. While I noticed how their hard work was paying off and leading to more financial opportunities for my cousins, siblings, and myself, they rarely took the time to take care of their physical and…