2014 Staff Interviews - Administrators or Directors

ATTACHMENT B
STAFF INTERVIEW TOPICS

B.1

STAFF INTERVIEW TOPICS
The topic areas for the staff interviews are divided into program domains and provide a checklist
of general topics to be covered during the site visit and phone interviews. Not all are applicable
to all PROMISE projects or respondents. Depending on the nature and time allotment for each
discussion, the evaluator likely will not cover all topics with a single interviewee. For example,
program administration and management practices will be the focus of the discussions with
program managers, and client engagement and service delivery will be the focus of discussions
with service provider staff. The interview guide will be adapted for particular PROMISE
projects and respondent types, and build on information obtained during early program
implementation.
A.

Background and Experience
 History and mission of the organization
 Respondent’s tenure and role in organization
 Organization’s role in [PROMISE/ASPIRE]
 Respondent’s role in and time spent on [PROMISE/ASPIRE]
 Prior experience (of organization and respondent) serving youth and adults with and
without disabilities
 Other staff within organization working on [PROMISE/ASPIRE] (number, roles, and
qualifications)
 How [PROMISE/ASPIRE] fits within organization’s overall structure

B.

Local Environment (community context and the counterfactual)
 Pre-existing services for youth with disabilities and their families (before
[PROMISE/ASPIRE])
 Gaps in pre-existing services (before [PROMISE/ASPIRE])
 Implications of economy on service environment over past year
 Implications of political climate on service environment over past year
 State/local policies that assist or hinder youth with disabilities in making the
transition to adulthood

C.

Program Administration, Structure, and Partnerships
 Roles of partner organizations in [PROMISE/ASPIRE]
 Overall organization and management structure of [PROMISE/ASPIRE]
 Formal and informal agreements between organizations in [PROMISE/ASPIRE]

B.2

 Nature of communication and collaboration between organization and other
organizations involved in [PROMISE/ASPIRE], and how relationships have changed
over time
 Gaps/weaknesses in program partnerships
D.

Program Outreach and Recruitment
 Strategies/methods used to recruit [PROMISE/ASPIRE] participants, and level of
effort required
 Training and technical assistance received and still needed
 Recruitment challenges and successes
 Reasons why youth
[PROMISE/ASPIRE]

or

their

parents/guardians

refuse

to

participate

in

 Biggest barriers participants face and typical goals of youth and families upon
entering [PROMISE/ASPIRE]
E.

Program Operations and Services
 Typical flow of youth and families through [PROMISE/ASPIRE] (from enrollment
through services receipt to case closure)
 Nature and timing of [PROMISE/ASPIRE] case management services provided to
youth and families, and size and composition of caseloads
 Nature and timing of school/education related services provided to youth and families
 Nature and timing of career and work-based services provided to youth and families
 Nature and timing of benefits counseling and other financial literacy services
provided to youth and families
 Nature and timing of empowerment and other services provided to youth and families
 Current service delivery compared to intended services as originally conceptualized
 Training received and still needed

F.

Performance Measurement
 Functions and utility of [PROMISE/ASPIRE] MIS, and data entry processes
 Collection and analysis of additional data (outside of the MIS) for formative
evaluation (surveys, focus groups, etc.)
 Program adjustments made in response to formative evaluation findings

G.

Program Costs
 Project budget and funding

B.3

 Additional revenue sources for [PROMISE/ASPIRE] aside from PROMISE grant
 Financial reporting processes
 Participant payments or incentives
 Staff and volunteer time dedicated to [PROMISE/ASPIRE] and specific program
components (and nature of time collection systems)
 Overhead and capital costs allocated to [PROMISE/ASPIRE] (and nature of
accounting systems)
 Subcontract or vendor payments
H.

Lessons Learned
 Major challenges and successes of [PROMISE/ASPIRE]
 Recommendations for improving and replicating [PROMISE/ASPIRE]

I.

Evaluation Implementation
 Receptivity and responsiveness to technical assistance
 Effectiveness of recruitment efforts and progress toward enrollment goals
 Quality of data entry into the random assignment system
 Integrity of random assignment
 Appropriateness and quality of the [PROMISE/ASPIRE] management information
system (MIS)
 Appropriateness of arrangements for transferring administrative data, including MIS
data

B.4