Information Sheet for Grantees 9-08

Communities Empowering Youth (CEY) Evaluation
Information Sheet

About the Study:
The Office of Community Services contracted with Abt Associates and its subcontractor
Branch Associates to conduct a study of the Communities Empowering Youth (CEY)
program. In response to direction from OCS, the researchers from Abt and Branch are
gathering information about how partners awarded CEY grant funds in 2007 are working
together to achieve their objectives under the grant. The information collection is referred to
as “case studies.” Ten grantees are to be selected. Information is to be gathered through
on-site visits to these grantees over time (annually). During the visits, researchers will talk with
key staff and observe partnership meetings or activities to better understand the nature of
the partnership and how it changes over time.
The case studies are to address the following research questions:
•

How are CEY partnerships structured and does this change over time? Do the
dynamics between the lead and partner organizations change over time?

•

In what ways and how do lead organizations build their own capacity and that of
their partners? In what ways does the capacity of the partnership as a whole change
over time?

•

What are some of the successes, challenges, and promising practices among CEY
grantees?

About the Interviews:
During the site visits, Abt and Branch research staff will want to meet and talk with program staff
at the lead organization and each CEY partner organization. Researchers are interested in
talking with staff involved with the CEY partnership and/or other capacity building activities.
The information learned from grantees and partners will be used to prepare reports that will
provide valuable information for OCS and other grantees about the experiences, challenges,
and successes of grantees operating under a new federal grant program. Specific
information gathered through interviews will not be attributed to any individual or
organization in the reports. Participation in the interview is voluntary, and key staff has the
right not to answer any question or to end the interview at any time.

Your participation in this study is very important and we greatly
appreciate your time and help with this research! Thank you!
If you have any questions or would like more information about the CEY case studies, please
contact: Barbara Fink, Case Study Director at 215-731-9980 or [email protected].