SOCIOMETRICS EVALUATION GROUP

SOCIOMETRICS CORPORATION is a research and development firm that engages in social science research applications. Sociometrics specializes in evaluating intervention programs that address contemporary social problems, using expertise built upon its experience identifying, archiving and disseminating the best social intervention programs, datasets, and data collection instruments.

The SOCIOMETRICS EVALUATION GROUP offers a variety of evaluation services for program administrators, evaluators, and funders of social intervention programs. Our evaluation projects have been both national and local in scope and have focused on adolescent sexual health, related reproductive health issues, family planning services, services to persons living with AIDS, youth development, income support, employment development, violence prevention, and drug abuse prevention. Specific evaluation services range from evaluation training and workshops to data analysis and report writing. Sociometrics also provides national leadership in facilitating access to the best evaluation tools and resources.

EVALUATION APPROACH

Sociometrics' evaluators understand that program practitioners and administrators know their programs better than anyone else. Therefore, rather than come in as the "experts" and conduct an evaluation for a program, we prefer to form partnerships with program staff, enabling them to take on as much of the evaluation effort as their time, resources and ability permit. Our workshops, technical publications, evaluation tools, and data sets are all designed with this goal in mind. At the end of our collaboration, we seek to leave our clients with more than just an evaluation report. Sociometrics' evaluation partners will have a greater capacity to develop and manage future evaluation efforts.

Our evaluation approach can be summarized by the following three tenets:

EMPOWERMENT. We provide the tools, resources, and expertise to empower practitioners to conduct and report high quality evaluations of their social intervention programs. At the same time, technical assistance is an integral part of all our products; we provide as much assistance as needed to enable a high quality evaluation.

WORKING WITHIN RESOURCES. We recognize that programs have limited resources for evaluation budgets, time, and staff expertise. We believe it is better to do a small evaluation well than a large one poorly. Therefore, we encourage programs to take careful stock of their resources before embarking on an evaluation, and to tailor their evaluation effort to their resources.

STAGES. To work within each program's resources, we have developed a ten-stage framework for program assessment and evaluation. Each of the ten stages is also grouped under one of three specific categories of evaluation: program planning and model building; program monitoring and data collection; and comparison against a performance standard. At each stage, important and useful information may be obtained to guide and improve program implementation. The tools and assistance we provide are designed to boost programs' capabilities to move up a stage or two without straining their resources. While we stress training and empowerment for programs that want to learn how to evaluate their own efforts, we are also able to take on any or all of the steps of a total program evaluation.

EVALUATION SERVICES

Our services include customer's choice of:

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, whereby we assist programs in conducting their own evaluation by providing advice and document review on one or more aspects of program development and evaluation, including:

  • Conducting evaluation workshops
  • Proposal writing
  • Program model development
  • Research design planning
  • Instrument development
  • Data collection
  • Data management
  • Data analysis
  • Report writing for a variety of audiences

EVALUATION, whereby we conduct most (or all) aspects of an evaluation except for data collection, which is typically done by the customer with guidance from us.

CONTRACTS & COSTS

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CONTRACTS
Our hourly rate ranges from $121-$127. Billing is done monthly based on actual hours provided. Any and all evaluation services are included, for example: telephone or e-mail assistance, document review, site visits, conducting of evaluation workshops.

EVALUATION CONTRACTS
Evaluation contracts are set up as either cost-plus-fixed-fee or fixed price contracts. Free estimates are given prior to setting up these contracts. Because we typically take responsibility for all aspects of the evaluation except for data collection (which is done by the customer with guidance from us), the minimum Evaluation Contract is generally $25,000 per year. Smaller contracts can be negotiated as technical assistance contracts, contingent on staff availability.

VIRTUAL PROGRAM EVALUATION CONSULTANT (VPEC)

The Virtual Program Evaluation Consultant (VPEC) is a simple, easy-to-use online survey creation, data collection and analysis tool that will help in evaluating  small and large-scale HIV/AIDS prevention programs. VPEC can assist with your evaluation by:

  • Creating customized online as well as printable evaluation surveys in just minutes
  • Self-administering the online surveys to your participants through an easy-to-use interface with audio features
  • Providing secure and confidential storage of the data
  • Providing a range of options for data analysis including complete data analysis and report writing by Sociometrics’ staff

Visit Sociometrics' VPEC page for more information.

CONTACTING SOCIOMETRICS

Key Sociometrics' Evaluation Group members are listed below, along with information on how to contact them. To call any of the staff, telephone Sociometrics' main number, (650) 949-3282, and enter the appropriate extension.

  • Dr. Raghupathy should be contacted for EVALUATION and TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CONTRACTS.
  • Our Evaluation Statement of Capabilities is provided free of charge on request. Contact Sociometrics' Administrative Assistant at ext. 200 to receive this Statement.

PRESIDENT
Josefina J. Card, Ph.D.    ext. 211, jjcard@socio.com
STAFF
Shobana Raghupathy, Ph.D., Director of Practitioner Support, Senior Research Associate    ext. 209, shobana@socio.com