Measuring a Movement

Evaluation Tracks Growth of Asset Movement in Colorado and Impact of the Statewide Initiative
Download the summary (PDF).
Download the full report (PDF).

OMNI Institute Evaluates the ACY Initiative

OMNI Institute was contracted by The Colorado Trust in 2000 to evaluate the Assets for Colorado Youth Initiative. The culmination of a two-year evaluation by OMNI Institute, Creating Social Change: The Growth of a Statewide Movement details outcomes and processes used in measuring the spread of assets in Colorado. Released by The Colorado Trust, the initiative's funder, the study explores four main areas:

• ACY's role in helping individuals and organizations integrate the asset framework.
  
• The organizational and personal transformations that occur when the assets are integrated.
  
• The reach of the asset movement in Colorado.
  
• The impacts of asset building on Colorado youth.

Evaluation Strategies

Historical Analysis of the Initiative - This strategy will help elicit the distinctive role that ACY and its grantees play in the promotion of assets in Colorado, specifically the contributions in defining, disseminating, and integrating the assets framework. Historical analysis of documents and media is conducted to capture asset building during the initiative, lessons learned by ACY and grantee organizations, and the products that ACY and grantees developed to support asset building.

Case Studies of Asset Building - Case studies involve focused and more in-depth learning about asset building in a small number of sites. This approach is utilized to explore unique contexts for asset building, to study organizational change resulting from integration of the asset framework, and to uncover unique characteristics of asset-building organizations. Site visits and in-depth interviews are important components of this evaluation strategy.

Asset Building Network Survey - This strategy involves a two-stage survey of organizations involved in asset building. First, a phone survey is conducted to trace the networks of asset building and to assess the reach of the asset movement within Colorado. Then, through interviews, more in-depth information is collected about networks between non-funded organizations, ACY, and grantees.

Investigative Impact Studies - Nationally, those involved in asset building are grappling with how to measure the impact of their work on youth and adults. To promote impact evaluation, The Colorado Trust has partnered with Mile High United Way and the National Research Center to develop asset-based measurement tools. Opportunities exist within the ACY Initiative to explore the effects of asset building on individuals, as well. This evaluation strategy is to develop small-scale, investigative studies of these impacts.

The evaluation findings will help youth development researchers and practitioners better understand the asset-building process, its transformational power for organizational change and measures of success. Download the summary (PDF).