Research & Evaluation Archives - Page 2 of 10

17 Sep, 2025

Close the Loop: Sharing Research Findings with Communities

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-09-17T11:42:12-04:00September 17th, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: community engagement, Research, research findings|0 Comments

Too often, the research process ends after data are collected, analyzed, and published.

Reports are sent to funders, findings are tucked away in shared drives, and life moves on. But for the people who make the research possible (community members who gave their time, their experiences, and their stories) silence can feel like a betrayal. They opened up, often about deeply personal or vulnerable experiences, and are left wondering what came of it all.

If communities only hear from you when you need data, but not when it’s time to share results, you’re not engaging in true partnership. You’re extracting.

Reporting back to share research findings isn’t just a courtesy. It’s a commitment to respect, reciprocity, and relationship-building. When we think about equitable research practices, how can we close the loop?

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3 Sep, 2025

Ask Nicole: How Can We Make Research Participation More Accessible?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-09-03T10:32:19-04:00September 3rd, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: Ask Nicole, Research|0 Comments

Portrait of Nicole Clark smiling confidently against a gray background. The text reads: "Ask Nicole — How Can We Make Research Participation More Accessible?" with branding for Nicole Clark Consulting: Raise Your Voice for Women & Girls of Color. — Have a question you’d like to be featured? Let me know.

When most people think of accessibility in research, they think of translated surveys or hosting meetings in ADA-compliant spaces. While those are important, true accessibility requires much more. In addition to compliance, accessibility also creates conditions where participants feel seen, safe, and supported throughout the research process.

If your outreach starts and ends with “Here’s a link—please fill it out,” you’re likely missing a large part of your community.

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16 Apr, 2025

Try This: Redefine Your Metrics

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-04-16T09:57:07-04:00April 16th, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: indicators, metrics, program evaluation, Try This|0 Comments

Whether your goal is weight loss or muscle gain, the first thing we tend to measure is the number on the scale. But if you want a more accurate view of your progress, it’s time to redefine your metrics.

In program design and evaluation, the indicators we choose shape not only what we measure—but how we define success. By learning to redefine your metrics, you’re evaluating your progress in a more holistic, human way.

This activity is another example of how evaluation shows up in our everyday, identifying more meaningful, context-driven indicators of progress. Whether you’re thinking about your own growth or your program’s impact, expanding how you measure can shift what you learn and how you respond.

Objective

To help staff apply evaluative thinking to both personal and programmatic progress by identifying non-traditional, meaningful indicators of success.

This activity is ideal for:

Program staff involved in design, implementation, or evaluation
Teams who want to move beyond surface-level outcomes
Organizations interested in becoming more data driven

What you’ll need:

Paper and pen, journal, or notes app
A shared document for team discussion
90 minutes of uninterrupted staff time

The steps:

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9 Apr, 2025

The Recipe for a Good Evaluation

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-04-09T10:43:55-04:00April 9th, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: program evaluation|0 Comments

Trying a new recipe? That’s evaluation in action.

The recipe for a good evaluation is similar to trying out a new recipe.

You find a new recipe that looks amazing—maybe it popped up on social media or was handed down from a friend.

You buy the ingredients, follow the steps, and give it a go.

But the final dish is just… okay. Not bad, but not great. So you make a mental note: Less salt next time, longer cooking time, or double an ingredient.

This quick post-dinner reflection is the start of a recipe for a good evaluation.

Like a chef creating a cookbook, recipes are a perfect example of how we gather feedback, make adjustments, and improve things over time.

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2 Apr, 2025

Ask Nicole: How We Use Evaluation Every Day

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2025-04-02T15:22:15-04:00April 2nd, 2025|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: Ask Nicole, program evaluation|0 Comments

When people hear “evaluation,” they often picture something dry, technical, and reserved for experts—maybe even a little intimidating. It sounds like one of those tedious processes filled with jargon and reports no one really reads.

In reality, we’re evaluating all the time. From the meals we cook to the shows we watch, we’re constantly assessing what works, what doesn’t, and what to do next.

Evaluation isn’t just a professional tool—it’s a part of how we live, make decisions, and improve things around us.

Here are 8 everyday experiences that show how evaluation shows up in your daily life:

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If communities only hear from you when you need data, but not when it’s time to share results, you’re not engaging in true partnership. You’re extracting.

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