Instructions
The agency I have chosen for project is UCAN and there main website is Home (ucanchicago.org) I have also attached form 990 to pull financial information. The person inerviewed is Mariah Robinson, who
is a skilled Placement Supervisor employed with Uhlich Childrens Advantage
Network (UCAN) and has worked for the company for 30 years.
ASSIGNMENT:
You should conduct an interview with someone in the organization who has relevant
knowledge of how program outcomes are measured and reported, and the financial aspects of
the organization if possible. You will also draw on publicly available data on the organization,
including their mission, program offerings, and financial data by accessing their IRS Form 990
via guidestar.org.
Topics to Discuss In Your Interview (Formulate as Questions)
• Barriers to Success
• Organizational Relationships
• Financial
• Program Evaluation
Length: About 6-8 pages (not including title page and references, APA style). Turn in on
Moodle.
Assignment Structure
Provide a basic overview of the organization, including a brief description of its history/founding,
target populations, and location/jurisdiction. Describe the organization’s mission statement and
the core programs and services areas. Describe the organization’s leadership structure,
philosophy, and how decisions are made. (1-2 pages)
Financial Information
Examine the organization’s IRS Form 990 to assess the financial health of the organization.
Have they had positive surpluses in recent years? What are their main sources of income? Is it
growing or shrinking? Perhaps examine a similar organization’s 990 to make a comparison.
You might also consult recent annual reports from the organization for further information.
Page 3 of 9
Overall, does this organization seem to be financially stable? Make at least one
recommendation as to how the organization could improve its financial performance. (2 pages)
Program Evaluation
Describe the program activities and outcomes that are measured for a particular program in the
organization. Describe and assess the following aspects of the program’s current evaluation
efforts:
• data collection processes and responsibilities
• balance of quantitative and qualitative indicators
• the program’s “theory of change” (may be implicit or explicit)
• evidence basis of expected outcomes (identify at least one peer-reviewed article that
speaks to the evidence basis of the program)
• how evaluation data was developed over time and how it is monitored, used, and
incorporated into program development, implementation, and refinement
• internal and external stakeholder input (including service users, staff, funders,
regulators, and leaders) into the evaluation plan and priorities
Identify at least one issue with current evaluation efforts, and make at least one
recommendation as to how the program could improve how its evaluation efforts are
conducted. (3 pages)
Complete your paper with a summary and some broad conclusions from your analysis. (1-2
paragraphs)