Samueli Institute is an industry expert in evaluating the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of programs through a mixed-methods data analysis approach.
The Institute's Program Evaluation Services are a part of a suite of services, SEaRCH™, that offer a scientifically rigorous, yet systematic and streamlined method for evaluating claims of therapies, practices or products for treating disease, improving health and/or improving human performance.
With SEaRCH™ services, you can scientifically evaluate key elements of your program, and:
- Learn what makes your program effective, and what's holding it back
- Discover how the setting impacts success
- Make data-driven decisions about resourcing, program growth and replication
- Cut programs that do not work and expand those that do
- Positive outcomes provide great marketing tools
The Institute has an extensive track record in evaluating programs designed to optimize performance, improve resilience in military settings, and facilitate recovery and reintegration into military and civilian environments. The results of these studies are used to inform policy, practice decisions, resource allocation, and for marketing and outreach.
Samueli Institute’s process involves three levels of evaluation: structural evaluation, process evaluation and outcome evaluation. Evaluations can be tailored to the setting to be formative with feedback loops for performance improvement or summative whereby data analysis are conducted for mature programs which do not require guidance on implementation. Such an approach is based on discovering the unique factors within a program and site of implementation (i.e., leadership, relationships, culture, organization, context, politics) that influence the outcomes.
A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH
Our rigorous technique includes analyses of the following:
- Quantitative measures - demographics, retrospective and prospective health measures, satisfaction surveys
- Qualitative data - interviews and focus groups with stakeholders such as participants, staff, family members
- Observational data - research observer notes on context and fidelity, quality, logistics
- Administrative data - organizational charts, cost and use data
By using mixed methods, we utilize statistically reliable information obtained from numerical measurement to be reinforced and enriched by information about the program stakeholders’ explanations. Together, our researchers distill this information into a balanced assessment of the program, expert analysis of the evidence and clear directions for next steps.