This 4-day training provides evaluators and supervisors with the tools and strategies to develop local evaluation teams, develop utilization focused evaluations of the process and fidelity of implementation of wraparound, do community needs assessments, support ongoing system and wraparound development, and to monitor staff performance and child and family progress and outcomes.

Utilization focused evaluation is based on the premise that evaluations should only be done if the information from the evaluation will be used. Thus, the first role of the evaluation team is to identify and engage potential users of the evaluation. The second role is to engage these users in the process of the evaluation. This might begin by informing potential users of the available data and opportunity to use it. It would obtain from them the questions that would be helpful in decisions they make. It would also include facilitating the development of applications for the users. This would include developing information displays of the useful information that are meaningful to the potential users. The team would gather, summarize, review and analyze the information. They would interpret and share information with users. They would then restart the cycle and identify additional information to meet the needs of users. Utilization focused evaluation can ensure that critical values are in place at the practice, supervision, and community levels.

As communities implement systems of care, collaborative services and supports, and wraparound, the ways things are done in a community will be continually changing. This will require many and continuous decisions about what to do and what to focus on. One of the primary purposes of the utilization focused evaluation is to gather information that will influence this decision making process. By gathering information on the outcomes and risk and protective factors for children and families, current resources and service and support process, and the context of implementing services and supports within a community. Decisions can be based on their outcomes on the things people within the community value. This can empower many more members of the community to impact the direction of system change and can give current decision makers the information that will lead to more successful decisions. Gathering information on the quality of the services and supports in the community can help families to select those services that meet basic values and work. It can also be the basis for staff and community training and professional development plans. In addition, utilization focused evaluation can gather and distribute information to build public support for successful programs and services and thus directly influence the sustainability of these programs and supports.