Public Policy Associates (PPA) Project Manager Dr. Nancy McCrohan presented at the 39th annual Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) fall conference in Chicago.
The theme of the presentation, titled Measurement Matters: Better Data for Better Decisions, was the importance of data and measurement. It included work that examines data, measurement, and analysis and highlighted the importance of state and local policy.
Other participants included Yvette Lamb (ICF International, Inc.), Sonam Gupta (IMPAQ International, LLC), and Christian Geckeler (Social Policy Research Associates).
The roundtable, Building Evaluation into Program Design: Lessons from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation Fund, focused on innovative practices for building in evaluation early in the program process and implementation stages. The session provided an opportunity to discuss lessons learned in Workforce Innovation Fund evaluations for both evaluators and practitioners.
“It is critical that evaluators and workforce practitioners work closely together to develop optimal approaches to identifying and reporting program impacts on people’s lives. This panel was able to share lessons on how that is accomplished,” said Dr. McCrohan. “PPA has conducted a number of WIF evaluations in recent years, and the lessons gleaned have also been used by the US Department of Labor in assessing their investment and evaluation strategies.”
PPA is a leader in the evaluation of Workforce Innovation Fund projects, examining projects around the country to determine their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
Key issues addressed by the panelists included benefits and challenges of obtaining data for local evaluations, maintaining independence, and implications for suitability for grantee-led evaluations.
PPA is a Lansing, Michigan-based firm that provides clients across the country with research and strategic consultation to inform the development of effective policies and programs in the areas of education and workforce development, safety and justice, and healthy communities.
For more information, contact Dr. McCrohan at nmcrohan@publicpolicy.com or 517-485-4477.