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CLEAR is an
evaluation and research group established in 1998 by partners, Becky
Swanson Kroll, Ph.D. and Juan Jackson. Both of these individuals have
extensive experience in doing evaluation, needs assessment and other kinds
of social action research in child welfare, public health, education and
human services. They are particularly skilled in working with grass roots,
community-based initiatives and with small emerging groups - using a capacity
building framework.
Much of CLEAR's work
has been in and with communities of color. They develop and regularly
use strategies to work with hard to reach populations, to conduct surveys
or face to face interviews using innovative techniques and respectful,
appropriate means for work with people who have language and cultural
differences, lower levels of formal literacy, or disabilities.
The services CLEAR
offers can include:
- Community (Needs)
Assessment: Design and implementation of strategies to gather information
from specific communities. Similar to needs assessment, but not limited
to defining needs and avoiding methods which define people solely by
"deficiencies." Our community-focused assessments identify barriers,
services which make a difference, and individual and community strengths
and capacities.
- Formative Evaluations:
Work with new initiatives to identify appropriate initial and intermediate
goals and intended outcomes, sources of information to indicate impact
and creative strategies to gather information from a wide range of stakeholders
to inform and improve initial efforts.
- Consumer Surveys:
Work with providers and consumers to identify methods for providing
systematic feedback to measure satisfaction levels and to provide safe,
anonymous suggestions for improving services and enhancing contact with
consumers.
- Evaluation
Training: Methods to involve a wide range of stakeholders in understanding
the purpose and benefits of evaluation, and to technical assistance
in developing appropriate indicators and data management systems. Particularly
experienced in using outcome-based evaluation methods, developed in
consultation with human service providers and clients.
- Technical Assistance:
Advice and guidance on choosing methods for gathering information in
cost effective, valid and appropriate ways. Expertise in interviews,
focus groups, survey design and recruitment/sampling of appropriate
respondents (including snowball sampling methods for populations which
can't be enumerated).
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