Resource Brief: Reentry Program Process Evaluation Strategies
Most reentry programs are interested in understanding whether their programs work, but it is just as important to understand how a program is implemented. Process evaluations offer insight into a program’s implementation by using various data collection methods to gather information from multiple stakeholders.
To conduct a process evaluation, you will first need to document the program model, such as by developing a logic model. Once the program model is documented, an evaluator can assess how the program is implemented. Process evaluations cover three aspects of program implementation:
- Reach. Assessing reach by examining program enrollment and completion helps to determine whether the program is delivered to the intended population.
- Intensity. Examining intensity includes assessing program dosage (how much of a program is being offered and to whom) and participant engagement (e.g., participant satisfaction).
- Fidelity. Assessing fidelity determines whether the program is delivered as intended and documents any adaptations to the program model.
This brief from the Evaluation and Sustainability Training and Technical Assistance (ES TTA) team at RTI International and the Center for Justice Innovation (formerly the Center for Court Innovation) provides important considerations when conducting a process evaluation of a reentry program.
View the brief (PDF)
