Weinland Park Family Centered Community Change
Thoughtwell operated as an evaluator for the Weinland Park Family Centered Community Change (FCCC) Initiative, working with Community Properties of Ohio (CPO) in its capacity as backbone organization for the Initiative. The FCCC Partner Organizations piloted a targeted program as a component of this place-based, two-generation approach to family support. This pilot program, Next Doors, was the subject of this evaluation. The Next Doors program was partly modeled on the Crittenton Women’s Union’s (now EMPath) professional practice of Mobility Mentoring™, which is a mentor-led approach to moving individuals and families out of poverty through behavior change. The “essential elements” of this model are clear goal-setting, a meaningful incentive system, coaching, and a framework built around self-sufficiency measures. The evaluation plan was developed by Thoughtwell with input from members of the Weinland Park FCCC Governing Board and the Weinland Park FCCC Service Design Team. A list of evaluation questions guided the data collection, and represented the framework of the evaluation and subsequent report. The adaptable nature of the program, the steady but gradual implementation of Efforts To Outcomes (ETO), and the openness of program leadership and funders to data-driven course-corrections resulted in an evolving evaluation. Some elements of the evaluation plan grew in importance while others decreased in importance.