HomeMy WebLinkAbout990276.tiff ED R( 014199
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COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
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1575 Sherman Street
Denver,Colorado 80203-1714
Phone(303)866-5700 * J.
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FAX(303)866-4214
Bill Owens
Governor
January 29, 1999
Judy Griego, Director
Weld County Department of Social Services
PO Box A
Greeley CO 80631
Dear Ma
As you are already aware, Berkeley Planning Associates (BPA) and the University of Denver
Graduate of Social Work (DU) will be evaluating the Colorado Works program over the next few
years. In my last correspondence with you, I detailed the activities to be conducted throughout the
evaluation, including the field data collection component of the study. As noted in that letter, Weld
County is one of the 15 counties selected to be included in the field study.
Participating in the field study component of the evaluation will entail some responsibility on the
part of county staff, program participants, and other important local stakeholders. In the first year
of the evaluation, BPA and DU staff will visit your county twice, once in early spring (March or April)
and again over the summer (July or August). Evaluation staff will visit your county once in each
subsequent year of the evaluation, for up to five years in total. While visiting Weld County, the
evaluation team will interview a variety of stakeholders, including social services staff, staff at
partner agencies, community advocacy groups, and local employers. In addition, staff will conduct
focus group discussions with program participants and observe program activities.
Evaluation staff will contact you to set up their visits. They will rely heavily on your
recommendations for interview respondents, particularly in the first round of visits. In addition, they
will request assistance in scheduling interviews with County Commissioners, social services
agency staff, local employers, and staff from other agencies with whom you work.
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I am asking for your cooperation in working with the evaluators for this important study. I have
enclosed an evaluation summary sheet for your information. Please feel free to share it with your
staff and representatives of other agencies with which you partner. A member of the evaluation
team will be contacting each county shortly to arrange the first visit. In the meantime, if you have
any questions, please feel free to contact the BPA project director or the Office of the Colorado
State Auditor. Contact Information for both groups is provided on the attached summary.
Thank you for your cooperation in conducting this important evaluation.
Sincerely,
712,44.2-,4")
Karen Beye
Managing Director
ENCLOSURE
Cc: Connie Harbert, Chair, Weld Board of Commissioners
Vincent Valvano, Colorado Works Evaluation Project Director
Cindy Stetson, Office of the Colorado State Auditor
727&
EVALUATION OF THE COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM
WHAT IS THE COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM EVALUATION?
The Colorado Works evaluation is a five-year project to analyze the recently implemented
welfare reform program in Colorado. The evaluation is examining the extent to which
Colorado Works participants are obtaining employment and achieving self-sufficiency; the
impact of Colorado Works on the well-being of children and families of participants; the
effectiveness of program services in preparing participants for employment; the availability of
adequate child care for program participants; the impact of Colorado Works on other state and
local assistance programs; and the economic costs and benefits of the program.
WHO IS CONDUCTING THE COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM EVALUATION?
Berkeley Planning Associates, located in Oakland, California, is conducting the evaluation.
The Office of the Colorado State Auditor entered into a contract with this firm through a
competitive procurement process. BPA was chosen based on its experience in welfare reform
evaluation and its proposed evaluation design.
WHY EVALUATE COLORADO WORKS?
In its 1998 session, the General Assembly directed the State Auditor's Office to oversee a
multi-year evaluation of Colorado Works (SB 98-185). State welfare programs are undergoing
tremendous change in the aftermath of federal welfare reform and Colorado has further
devolved responsibility for program design to each county. The General Assembly, the
Department of Human Services, counties, advocates, and other stakeholders are interested in
determining if welfare reform is having its intended effects.
How WILL THE EVALUATION BE CONDUCTED?
The findings of the evaluation will be based on three principal data collection activities. First,
monthly data from 12 state administrative program databases are being merged to allow the
evaluators to measure a range of outcomes of participants during and after their participation
in Colorado Works. In addition, telephone surveys are being conducted of samples of current
program participants and participants whose cases closed during the initial implementation of
Colorado Works. Finally, evaluators are conducting in-depth interviews and focus groups with
a variety of stakeholders, including county staff, program participants, service providers,
employers and advocacy groups during six rounds of on-site visits to 15 Colorado counties.
Counties were selected for site visits to insure a representative sample in terms of population,
geographic location, and economic conditions.
WHEN WILL REPORTS BE ISSUED?
BPA will produce an annual report for the State Auditor at the end of each calendar year, as
well as a final report in 2004.
•
CONTACT INFORMATION
Cindi Stetson Dr. Vincent Valvano, Project Director
Office of the Colorado State Auditor Berkeley Planning Associates
200 East 14th Avenue 440 Grand Ave., Suite 500
Denver, CO 80203-2211 Oakland, CA, 94610-5085
(303) 866-2051 (510) 465-7884
E-mail: vincent@bpacal.com9690a7c0
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