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| RESEARCH |
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Project: EVALUATION OF THE COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM Sponsor: Colorado Department of Human Services through the Lewin Group Status: In process IPS Staff: Demetra Smith Nightingale (Co-PI), Burt Barnow (Senior Advisor) Purpose and Approach The Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS) has contracted with the Lewin Group and its partners, the University of Colorado’s Health Sciences Center, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, and Capital Research Corporation, to perform an in-depth study of the Colorado Works program. The study, begun in January 2005, is designed to provide administrators with information about program strategies and approaches counties might find useful for improving program implementation, performance, and outcomes. The study is based on a “program improvement” conceptual model, meaning that successful program and service delivery strategies used in various counties will be identified to learn more about what types of policies and approaches have worked well in different places. The first phase of the evaluation (2005-2006) used a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis to examine in depth special service delivery topics of interest to DHS. The second phase includes: a fiscal analysis of patterns of county spending on welfare, an analysis of employer attitudes about hiring welfare recipients, recipients’ attitudes about services, and a statistical analysis of welfare participation across counties. Results and Publications Farrell, M. and D.S. Nightingale (2006). “Colorado Works Program Evaluation: Annual Report 2006.” Falls Church, VA: The Lewin Group. Trutko, J. and B. Barnow (2006). “Program Coordination and Collaboration in the Colorado Works Program.” Falls Church, VA: The Lewin Group. Nightingale, D.S. (2006). “Employment Services and Employer Interaction in Colorado Works Program.” Falls Church,
VA: The Lewin Group. |