Threaded 4

Evaluating Monitoring Programs

The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week on the basis of the course competencies covered.

For this assignment, make sure you post your initial response to the Discussion Area by the due date assigned.

To support your work, use your course and text readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

Start reviewing and responding to the postings of your classmates as early in the week as possible. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial postings. Participate in the discussion by asking a question, providing a statement of clarification, providing a point of view with a rationale, challenging an aspect of the discussion, or indicating a relationship between two or more lines of reasoning in the discussion. Cite sources in your responses to other classmates. Complete your participation for this assignment by the end of the week.

Discussion Part I

While designing a monitoring plan for your program or policy, if you discovered that different techniques for monitoring the implementation of the program or policy produced conflicting results, how would you reach an effective monitoring plan?

Consider that the observation data monitoring technique suggests that, on average, staff members spend 1 hour per week on teaching life-skills to clients as the program intended, but the service record data monitoring technique suggests that staff spends 15 minutes on average teaching life-skills to clients, against the program’s intentions. What do you think could account for the discrepancy between different monitoring techniques?

Discussion Part II

Among the different observational data collection techniques—narrative, data, and structured rating scheme, which technique do you consider to be the strongest approach? Which technique do you think is the weakest? Explain your rationale.

Is it advisable to combine two or more observational data collection techniques? Are there any advantages to combining techniques? Are there any disadvantages to combining techniques? Discuss.

Cite any sources using APA format on a separate page. Let’s learn how to cite sources using APA guidelines.

Week 4 DiscussionDiscussion Topic Due September 9 at 11:59 PM