Georgia Governor

1
Georgia Governors Office of Highway Safety
Pre-Grant Application Training Workshop
May 12, 2008

• Carol P. Cotton, PhD
• Director, Traffic Safety Research and Evaluation
  Group
• University of Georgia, College of Public Health
• Dept. of Health Promotion and Behavior
• [phone] fax [phone]
• cpcotton_at_uga.edu

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Purpose

• Write a grant that allows you to
• Show effectiveness of your program
• Implement programs that are relevant for your
  community
• Be innovative
• Communication with GOHS and UGA program
  evaluation team is important
• Asking questions is important

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Objectives, Activities and Evaluation Your
Program

• Mission Statement
• Goals

• Objectives
• Activities

Mission Statement
Goals
Objectives
Activities
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Writing Good Objectives

• Objectives are
• Small steps
• More precise than program goals
• Steps that, if completed, will lead to reaching
  the program goal(s)
• Objectives outline in measurable terms the
  specific changes that will occur in the target or
  primary population at a given point in time as a
  result of exposure to the program

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Writing Good Objectives

• Objectives
• Provide direction
• Are useful in the evaluation process
• Must be clearly understood
• Must state what is to be accomplished
• Must be measurable
• Objectives have 4 elements/parts
• What outcome
• When time or conditions
• Who primary or target population
• How much achievement criterion or change

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Writing Good Objectives

• Measurability
• Outcomes (what)
• Defined as the action, behavior, or something
  else that will change as a result of the program
  (the verb in the objective)
• Verbs such as appreciate, internalize, understand
  are NOT good choices
• Verbs such as adopt, apply, complete, change,
  demonstrate, describe, identify, improve,
  facilitate, participate, practice, reduce, score,
  submit, test, try, volunteer ARE good choices
• The verb must refer to something measurable and
  observable

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Writing Good Objectives

• Measurability
• Conditions or Time (when)
• The conditions under which the outcome will be
  observed or,
• When it will be observed
• Examples
• Upon completion of the class
• As a result of participation
• By the year 2009
• When asked to respond by the teacher
• Verbally in class

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Writing Good Objectives

• Measurability
• Criterion (how much)
• The benchmark for deciding when the outcome has
  been achieved or,
• How much change will occur
• The standard of successful or appropriate
  performance
• Examples
• To no more than 105 per 1,000
• With 100 accuracy
• As presented in the lecture
• 300 pamphlets
• 95 (of the motor vehicle occupants)

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Writing Good Objectives

• Measurability
• Primary/Target Population (who)
• Who will change
• Examples
• 1,000 teachers
• All employees of the company
• Those residing in Fulton and Clayton Counties
• Class participants

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Good Objective

• By January 1, determine the attitudes of a random
  sample of Clarke County residents about highway
  safety issues.
• Primary population Clarke County residents
• Outcome determine
• Conditions by January 1
• Criterion a random sample

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Good Objective

• By the end of the grant period, car seats that
  meet federal standards will be distributed to all
  program participants.
• Primary population all program participants
• Outcome will be distributed
• Conditions By the end of the grant period
• Criterion meet federal standards

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SMART Objectives

• S STRAIGHT FORWARD
• Simple statements that everyone can understand
• M MEASURABLE
• An item or situation you can count or observe
• A ACTION-ORIENTED
• The stronger the action verb, the stronger the
  objective
• R REALISTIC
• Only commit to what you have a reasonable chance
  of accomplishing
• T TIME-SPECIFIC
• Have a deadline

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Evaluation

• Objective By January 1, determine the attitudes
  of a random sample of Clarke County residents
  about highway safety issues.
• Activities
• Design the attitude survey (or locate an already
  developed instrument)
• Hire staff to implement the survey
• Implement the survey
• Analyze the data
• Evaluation
• Write and submit a report by January 1 that
  includes the results of the attitude survey.

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Milestone Chart
Jan Feb Mar Total
Objective Design the survey X X
Actual
Objective Hire staff X
Actual
Objective Implement the survey X
Actual
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Original Milestone Chart
Jan Feb Mar Total
Objective PIE distribution 2,000 2,000 2,000 6,000
Actual
Objective Parent Child Program 2 2 2 6
Actual
Objective Technician Training X X
Actual
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Evaluation Data Collection Instruments

• Clearly Written
• Pre Post should be identical
• Relevant
• Do not make assumptions
• Submit data collection instruments
• Well be happy to review them!

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Key Points

• Increase, decrease, relative change baseline
  data a 2nd measure
• A well-thought out program is consistent
• Keep evaluation simple
• Dont collect data you dont need
• Evaluate each objective
• ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING
• On milestone chart OR in monthly report
• Value-added items should be separate

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Communication

• Channels
• Electronically via e-mail cpcotton_at_uga.edu or
  jambar_at_uga.edu or james.barlament_at_gmail.com
• Phone [phone]-0893
• Fax [phone]
• When contacted by UGA evaluation team
• Copy emails to SMOORE_at_gohs.state.ga.us
• please ask questions if unclear

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Questions
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Contacts

• Carol P. Cotton, PhD
• Director, Traffic Safety Research and Evaluation
  Group
• University of Georgia, College of Public Health
• Dept. of Health Promotion and Behavior
• [phone] fax [phone]
• cpcotton_at_uga.edu
• James Barlament
• Research Professional
• University of Georgia, College of Public Health
• Dept. of Health Promotion and Behavior
• [phone] fax [phone]
• jambar_at_uga.edu or james.barlament_at_gmail.com