Working through the Data

6.1 Drawing conclusions about program effects

In evaluation studies, a greater range of questions can be asked and answered when information is collected about individuals, then analyzed by grouping responses into categories.

In community programs, it is becoming common to compare data about individuals from before and after the program. This can provide persuasive evidence about the quality and likely effects of that program on participants, but cannot prove that the intervention caused the effects. Some research into longer-term interventions has produced evidence suggesting a causal relationship because the effect increases with the extent of participation, similar to what physicians would call a ‘dose-response’ relationship. Longer programs that can collect data about the same individuals regularly over time have more likelihood of showing such a relationship.

Even without making a claim for cause-and-effect, community programmers can learn much about their programs by looking at the extent of change across individuals, comparing amounts of change and looking at the full range of results to find frequency patterns, how often certain results are obtained, when and by whom.