It’s quite the head-scratcher: how do we prove that something didn’t happen? As a public health-oriented preventionist I always have questions about programmatic efficacy and have learned (the hard way) that traditional pre/post surveys and quantitative data collection are not always the most appropriate forms of evaluation. Often, quantitative analyses of programs do not capture the full, rich picture of what was learned, internalized, and developed in primary prevention programs. Our work to end rape culture is dynamic as it is complex, thus our efforts to evaluate and continuously improve our work must be creative.
Here are ten resources to help us expand our thinking about sexual violence evaluation:
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA): Evaluation Clearinghouse
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault (WCASA): Selecting Indicators and Measures
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Developing an Effective Evaluation Plan
NPR: How to Find out if ‘Women’s Empowerment’ Programs Really Empower Women
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC): Evaluation Toolkit
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA): Activity-Based Assessment
RALIANCE: Prevention Database
Kansas Community Toolbox: Introduction to Evaluation
Atlantic Council for International Cooperation: Medicine Wheel Evaluation Framework
Strengthening Nonprofits: A Capacity Builder’s Resource Library