Internal Evaluation Opstap

Monitoring and registration

Hilde Kalthoff (NJi), the programme manager of Opstap, considers it very important to monitor and record the various components of the programme, such as family characteristics and the progress of the children themselves. The information gathered to date reveals that most participants represent the target groups for which the programme was designed. The effects are also clearly visible. Internal use of the information in the organization's own database and information drawn from other monitoring systems helps in formulating effective plans and clear agreements. This enables the organization itself to make ongoing improvements, such as better training and support of the professional staff and paraprofessionals.

The system of monitoring also enables the organization to demonstrate that it is meeting the standards and quality requirements imposed by local authorities, the commissioning organizations and policy-makers.

Staff and paraprofessionals are required to gather quantitative information about the families involved in the project: the number of families, their reasons for taking part, their background, work, etc., If a family withdraws from the programme, their reasons for doing so will also be recorded. Staff are also required to provide feedback on the quality of the programme, as they see it. The quality system incorporated into the project establishes whether it is being conducted in accordance with the set objectives and conditions.

We now describe the various resources which are used in the individual projects within the Opstap programme (after Ince, D. Projectplan Stapprogramma's 2005. NJi Jeugd, Utrecht, 2004).

Planning forms:

Start-up form:
Includes the plans, schedules and division of responsibilities for the programme implementation.

Coordinator form:
Includes background information, plan for development of professional expertise (including updating of the knowledge required for specific programmes) of the coordinator.

Home visitor form:
(paraprofessional)
Includes background information and a plan for the development of the professional expertise required for the implementation of the programme the home visitor (paraprofessional).

Information recorded during the course of the year:

Family/intake form:
Includes background information on the individual family (derived from the management information system). Home-based.

Group meetings:
Record of parents' attendance at group meetings.

Training:
Record of home visitor's (paraprofessional's) attendance at training sessions organized by the coordinator.

Coaching: *
Record of the coaching and assistance provided to home visitors by the coordinator.

Family diary:
Record of the home visitor's (paraprofessional's) contacts with the family, whether at home or elsewhere.

Results:

Programme evaluation:
Outcomes of the implementation plans, with adjustments required for the coming year. *

Coordinator:
Submits results further to the expertise development plan (see above). *

Home visitor
(paraprofessional)
Submits results further to the expertise development plan (see above). *

Evaluation:

Evaluation of home visits *
OCan be used to provide further information about the home visits.

* The 'coaching' and 'evaluation of home visits' components may also entail collecting information of a more qualitative nature (such as an account of the problems experienced).