Exit Survey of Fellows in the Fellowship Program

Exit Survey for SC2 Fellowship Placement Pilot Program

As you may recall all 17 fellows replied to the first survey with questions about the first half of the fellowship program (approximately September 2012 through December 2013). Similar to the first survey, the exit survey will pose some questions about the SC2 Fellowship’s core elements and processes, as well as fellows’ communication and relationships with primary actors engaged in the program and project work. The exit survey includes questions about project work with a special focus on adding and/or building capacity.

There may be some overlap with the first survey, in which case please answer the question for the time frame indicated. Additionally, please note that some of the questions may be addressed in your final report, however we view the survey as a more candid outlet. As a significant input in the program evaluation in their own right, survey responses may also be used by the Evaluation Team to further tailor exit interviews.

We welcome comments and thoughtful critiques of the questions and definitions posed.

In light of the last several months of your fellowship placement, please provide us with feedback by completing the following survey. The survey is broken down into categories (e.g. communication and relationships, projects, organizational culture/capacity), which include a mix of likert and open-ended questions.

Communication and Relationships

1. Have you engaged in other community service/civic projects or programs (not directly related to your project work or placement) within your pilot city? If so, please list the projects/programs. How did you find out about these projects and why did you decide to participate/engage?

2. How did each of the following contribute to helping you build connections with other SC2 Fellows. (Likert scale for each – Very helpful, helpful, somewhat helpful, of little help, not at all helpful).

• The Management Academy Sessions

• Bootcamps

• Outside formal fellowship activities: _____________

• Other: _____________

• Other: _____________

3. How much interaction did you have with the CST?

Very Frequent

Frequent

Somewhat frequent

Infrequent

Never

4. How helpful was CST interaction to you and your project efforts toward building/adding capacity?

Very Helpful

Helpful

Somewhat helpful

Of little help

Not at all helpful

5. In what ways could CST interactions have been more helpful to you and your placement organization?

6. More broadly, please share your suggestions for how the federal government might enhance and improve connections across SC2 program activities.

7. Did you engage with other local partner organization outside of your immediate placement organization/department in the course of implementing your project?

• If so, who were your closest local partners? What were the biggest benefits of this organizational connection? How frequently were you engaged?

• If not, how do you think this affected your placement? Who would have been a good local partner? How can local partners be better engaged in the future?

8. In general, how satisfied were you with the level of contact and availability of your mentor?

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

9. In general, how would you rate your relationship with your LPM?

Very good

Good

Somewhat good

Fair

Poor

10. Has your relationship with your LPM experienced any major changes or challenges since January 2014? If so, please describe how this affected your ability to pursue your project work.

Projects

11. In general, how effective was the PPA in guiding your work.

Very effective

Effective

Somewhat effective

Of little effect

Not at all effective

12. How would you modify or change the PPA process and/or document for future fellowship programs?

13. Where in your work plan are you with respect to you major SC2 project, the project of focus in the Management Academies. (Provide a percentage, e.g. 30% completed.) Please indicate whether this project is different from project recorded in first survey.

Professional Development

14. Did you seek any additional professional development opportunities (outside and/or through the fellowship program) since January 2014? Why or why not? If yes, please list them.

15. Since January 2014, have you engaged in other formal professional development projects or programs offered by your host city or nonprofit groups in your community? If so, please list the projects/programs and the host organization or sponsor.

16. Reflecting on your experience in the SC2 Fellowship program, how did it measure up to your personal expectations?

Very good

Good

Somewhat good

Fair

Poor

17. How did it meet your professional goals?

Very good

Good

Somewhat good

Fair

Poor

18. What specific skills did you develop or enhance as a result of your fellowship experience?

19. Were any of your skills or capabilities underutilized in your placement? If so, please discuss the skill(s) and why.

20. What did you learn that will be useful moving forward in your career (this can be substantive, concrete skills, or general awareness of local governments, etc.)

Transition

21. Did you develop a transition plan with guidance or assistance from your LPM? Why or why not?

22. Were others involved in developing or implementing your transition plans? If so, who and why were they involved?

23. Do you think your project work reached its full potential? Explain.

24. What are the plans for your project work after the fellowship?

25. Ideally what would you recommend that your organization do for your project work moving forward?

26. Did transition planning with your mentor or the Academy presentation assist you with your project and/or professional transition?

• If yes, what was most useful?

• If no, what would have been helpful?

27. Did you consider staying with your host organization or institution? Why or why not?

• Would you have liked to stay with your host organizations? Why or why not?

28. How would you characterize your professional transition and career plan at this point?

• In-placement – you plan to remain in your current organization (department) and to continue project work listed in your PPA

• In-organization – you plan to remain in your current organization (department) and work on new projects, those not listed in your PPA.

• In-project – you plan to continue your project work but in a position at a different organization or department

• In-city – you plan to stay in your placement city and work for a new organization

• Out-city – you plan to move to another city and work for a new organization

29. Please rank the factors influencing your transition plan:

• Relationship with LPM and host organization leadership

• Fellowship project work

• Project status

• Available funding/resources for creating a permanent position and/or hiring a consultant

• Authorization process for creating a permanent position and/or hiring a consultant

• Other:__________

Organizational Culture/Capacity

30. In general, did you find your host institution to have an advantageous (informal or formal) structure and/or organizational culture for hosting fellows? What about organizational capacity?

• Did it change (positive or negatively) compared to the first half of your fellowship?

• Why? Please explain.

• How did your host’s organizational structure and capacity impact you and your project work?

31. What type(s) of structure and capacity do you think are critical for an organization to best utilize capacity provided from placement of a SC2 fellow?

32. What type(s) of structure and capacity do you think are critical for an organization to best absorb capacity provided from placement of a SC2 fellow?

Match

33. Do you believe your placement was a good match with your – please explain.

• Current skills

• Substantive interests

• Current professional development and career goals

• With your LPM

• Overall

OMB NO: 2528-0298
EXPIRATION DATE: 10/2017
Burden Statement

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.0 hour per respondent. These estimates include the time for reviewing instructions and completing the survey questionnaire. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, 451 7^th Street SW, Rm. 8212 Washington, DC 20410. Do not return the completed form to this address.

3