HIRED

Question
HIRED received a grant from the State of Minnesota to offer workforce development programming to juvenile delinquents. The grant required an evaluation so The Improve Group worked with Ramsey County and HIRED to evaluate the Building Lives Program. HIRED wanted to know if the program’s goals in providing post-adjudicated youth with employment services were being met, if the program was cost-effective. Staff was particularly interested in learning if youth had lower recidivism rates, better social functioning, improved relationships with adults and well-developed plans for their future after participating in the program.

Process
The evaluation presented a unique challenge to the evaluators because we were interested in both perceptions and actions—in other words, we wanted to know whether youth had an improved sense of self-efficacy and whether they were better able to find meaningful employment. Another challenge lay in encouraging youth to be honest in their responses and validate their data with observations by parole officers and employers. The Improve Group worked with program staff to develop a theory of action that we described in a logic model. We then created instruments that used multiple sources of information (youth probation and program records, youth surveys and interviews, probation officer surveys). We analyzed the data and compiled the findings in a comprehensive report that showed both youth outcomes and program strengths and weaknesses.

Outcome
The client received an evaluation report meaningful data that supported that employment services for this group of participants produced generally high-quality outcomes. The evaluation report that explained project outcomes was submitted to the MN Dept of Justice, which helped the them fulfill their grant obligations. When the State reduced the grant budget that was the source of funds for the program, staff were told that their program was one that most successfully demonstrated outcomes and that their funds would likely be reinstated if the budget situation changed.