Introduction
Project evaluation refers to a sequential process of gathering, recording, and organizing information about the project outcomes to assess the level of success. It enhances accountability by demonstrating effective and efficient use of money and other resources (Thomas & Chindarkar, 2019). In addition, it may help track project milestones and the impact of any changes on the objectives. Setting standards for gauging the indicators and how they measure up to the initial goals is vital.
The current project aims to determine if Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) enhance inclusivity and diversity, primarily focusing on marginalized workers. Therefore, the evaluation strategy will take a participatory approach where all the relevant stakeholders use multiple sources to gather data. Although there are two main tools, including focused-group discussions and document reviews, the primary focus is understanding the aspects of the project that worked and its achievements.
The Tool
Given the nature of the project, involving employees, primarily those marginalized, such as people with disabilities, using multiple tools will ensure convenience for all stakeholders. The document review tool used by the team that implemented ERG will provide answers to project evaluations focusing on quantitative results. In addition, the other tool is a focused group discussion, which will help collect qualitative data from marginalized employees. Combining the two tools is necessary to gather background information from the project’s onset and measure the current state and success rate.
Document reviews include analysis of the leading project document, such as the financial report, project proposal, the gnat chart, and reports from the human resource manager. The importance of documents is that they contain factual data in real time. Moreover, the tool is readily available, making it cheap to access. For instance, the proposal budget will be checked with the financial report to verify the project goal has been achieved (Thomas & Chindarkar, 2019).
Notably, given that money and time are scarce resources, proper utilization should be made to enhance the economic outcome of the organization. The success will also be gauged in terms of the time taken to implement the project versus the plan. There is support from the literature where document review has been used for evaluation (Mackieson et al., 2018). There was no feedback from potential partners because the project was still in its trial phase before wide-scale implementation. Thus, the document review is reliable for helping to measure progress by comparing the intent and the actual program.
Focus group discussion will be conducted with a sample of the marginalized employees and another with the rest of the workers. The tool involves group interviews set in an environment where each person can openly share their experiences about the program (Gilmore et al., 2019). Given that the project’s goal is to increase diversity and inclusivity, this tool is most appropriate as it encourages sharing information and interaction during data collection.
Furthermore, the tool is relevant to the goal because it gathers qualitative data that describes feelings and relations in more detail instead of close-ended questions that are two restrictive in evaluating abstract phenomena such as inclusivity and diversity. Some studies have successfully used focused group discussion as the primary evaluation tool for their economic projects (Prieto‐Sandoval et al., 2019). There was no input or feedback from the organizations intended to be partners.
The Process
The first tool, document review, will be used to quickly gather all the necessary documents, including the project proposal, financial reports, and any other recorded documents regarding the project. There are different processes that the evaluator can follow when using document analysis, including critical path review, network diagram, and project breakdown (Wilson, 2023). The rationale is to track the milestones achieved while documenting successes and challenges where improvement is necessary. The evaluation will be conducted by comparing the project proposal document with reports on various implementation milestones to check and record the discrepancies on the one hand and assess the percentage of goal achieved. An expert will analyze the document to avoid bias.
The focused group discussion begins with stratified sampling, where participants are classified as marginalized employees, and the majority of employees are randomly selected. There are two focus group discussions, each with ten participants. During the interview, they sit in a serene place in a circular, and the evaluator asks questions as the respondents provide answers. The session is recorded, and the observer can take some notes for thematic analysis of the group. The role of the sample is to pride answers on their lived experiences, while that of the evaluator is to record and later analyze the data.
The Findings
There will be two sets of findings. Statistical analysis will be used for document review to provide quantitative. The results will then be presented in graphs and tables to show the project’s success rate. Moreover, these results will aid in identifying areas of improvement in the utilization of resources and forecasting future budgets. Hence, the findings can improve the program by helping to make financial and resource planning.
The results from the evaluation are compared to the project proposal to determine the goals met. For example, the annual expenditure of commerce is $105,000-$145,000. If the document review on the financial report reveals a lower amount and all goals are met, it will be an indicator of surpassing the expectations. Findings should be shared with the project team and partner organizations interested in inclusivity and diversity.
The results from the focus group discussion will be processed using thematic analysis to produce qualitative information on the success and failure of the project in enhancing diversity and inclusivity. The findings will be utilized to provide feedback on recommendations for future development. One way results can improve the program is by integrating the recommendations. For example, if one of the suggestions is holding a regular catch week where people can make unique presentations, the program can consider implementing the same.
The evaluation results are provided in themes and can be measured against the goal to determine success. For example, suppose many marginalized people state that they feel they are appreciated in the organization. In that case, the response indicates the successful implementation of the project since it meets the aim of inclusivity.
Conclusion
Program evaluation helps ensure that the organization’s investments in a project have many benefits that outweigh the risks. Several tools for assessment are available, including focused group discussion and document review. The former is a qualitative method that evaluates abstract phenomena such as feelings and relationships after the evaluation, while the latter later offers statistical results.
The combined tools are complementary and can aid in improving the program. The recommendations provided by respondents can be integrated into the program while checking to maximize resource utilization. Overall, the tools will likely lead to better results if implemented well.
References
Gilmore, B., McAuliffe, E., Power, J., & Vallières, F. (2019). Data analysis and synthesis within a realist evaluation: Toward more transparent methodological approaches. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18. Web.
Mackieson, P., Shlonsky, A., & Connolly, M. (2018). Increasing rigor and reducing bias in qualitative research: A document analysis of parliamentary debates using applied thematic analysis. Qualitative Social Work, 18(16), 965 – 980. Web.
Prieto‐Sandoval, V., Jaca, C., Santos, J., Baumgartner, R. J., & Ormazabal, M. (2019). Key strategies, resources, and capabilities for implementing circular economy in industrial small and medium enterprises. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(6), 1473-1484. Web.
Thomas, V., & Chindarkar, N. (2019). Economic evaluation of sustainable development. Springer.
Wilson, F. (2023). What are the project management tools that are used for effective project planning? Nask. Web.