Community Data, Analysis and Evaluation
Community Data, Analysis and Evaluation
Resources for documenting, measuring and evaluating change
Effective community leadership and development activities often rely on assessing and tracking the status of community conditions. Community data provides context for understanding and documenting the status of community change. In addition, processes for documenting, measuring, and evaluating change are important tools for community development efforts.
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment Community and Leadership Development Department promotes broad-based community development. The compilation of educational workshops, programs, and publications from CLD Extension faculty on this page is intended to assist in conducting comprehensive assessment of projects and programs. These resources are geared for use by Cooperative Extension personnel, but the principles and strategies presented are applicable across the community, business, and nonprofit spectrum.
For more organizational and community information and resources, contact the CLD Extension faculty:
Dr. Nicole Breazeale, storytelling as an engagement and community development tool, action planning
Dr. Kenneth Jones, youth leadership development and leadership development evalutation
Dr. Daniel Kahl, community leadership program development and community engagement
Dr. Darryl Strode, community cybersecurity and community communications
Dr. Julie N. Zimmerman, community data analysis
RESOURCE: Kentucky: By The Numbers
Dr. Julie N. Zimmerman, Author/Director
Look to this website for Kentucky county data reports and information on how to use them. Kentucky: By The Numbers includes links to additional data sites, publications, information on finding and using data from the internet, and secondary data profiles from the Extension Community Assessment.
RESOURCE: 2020 Census Profile
Dive into the numbers that define your community with this county-by-county breakdown of the most recent Decennial Census. Knowing your county’s population, age groups, race and ethnicity, household numbers, household types, and housing types can help you determine programming needs and secure programming funding.
RESOURCE: 100 Years Population
Use the data collected here, from the 2020 Census, to identify population trends in your community. Refer back to Kentucky: By the Numbers for help in using this data to plan and access funding for your programs.
RESOURCE: Impact Programming During the Pandemic: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities for
Dr. Kenneth Jones, Moderator
Check in on what Extension professionals in other states did as a reaction to adjusting programming in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This moderated webinar shares best practices from Extension systems around the country that are having a big impact, including developing, documenting and communicating about their programs.
RESOURCE: Ripple Effect Mapping: A Fun, Participatory, Story-Based Method for Evaluating a Major Community-Based Initiative or Network
Dr. Nicole Breazeale, Heather Hyden, and Dr. Annette Heisdorffer, presenters
Get to know Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) as a story-based method for program evaluation used around the country. In Kentucky, Dr. Breazeale offers facilitation support as well as train-the-trainer professional development. This recorded Extension agent in-service introduces the method and can be used with a companion Extension publication.
RESOURCE: Ripple Effects Mapping: A fun, story-based evaluation tool
Dr. Nicole Breazeale, author
Use this step-by-step summary to employ the key components of the Ripple-Effects Mapping (REM) story-based method of community-level program evaluation. This qualitative evaluation tool was developed by Extension professionals and community developers to capture the intended and unintended impacts of a complex program or network.
RESOURCE: Evaluation: Everyone Has a Role
Dr. Kenneth Jones, Author
Learn from those who live in the community you serve. Although there are a number of definitions for "evaluation," in basic terms, it is simply the process of determining whether a program is producing desired results. This publication will help you understand how to best measure the success of a program.
RESOURCE: Participatory Evaluation: Engaging Stakeholders in the Process
Dr. Kenneth Jones, Author
Make evaluation an integral part of your programs. Participatory evaluation is a proven method that engages stakeholders as participants in the program’s evaluation. No one can tell your story better than those who benefit from your work and the results achieved.
RESOURCE: Kentucky: By The Numbers
Dr. Julie N. Zimmerman, Author/Director
Look to this website for Kentucky county data reports and information on how to use them. Kentucky: By The Numbers includes links to additional data sites, publications, information on finding and using data from the internet, and secondary data profiles from the Extension Community Assessment.
