Active performance monitoring
provides timely information on how well the programs are doing. CEO
monitoring efforts are conducted both by an in-house team and City agencies.
CEO staff plays a strong role in the development,
implementation, and evaluation of CEO initiatives. As programs get underway,
the staff role has grown from planning and implementation to include monitoring
and evaluation. CEO staff regularly
meets with City agencies, conducts site visits, collects monthly and quarterly
reports and data, and supports the external evaluations.
Agencies employ monitoring practices
that involve site visits, program reporting, and provider meetings. Some agencies also offer additional
expertise or resources to support the evaluation efforts. For example, the City University of New
York (CUNY) used its internal research unit to conduct a comprehensive survey of
CUNY ASAP students after their first semester. The Department of Small Business
Services (SBS) also uses a survey firm to document participant wage gains. In addition, the Department of Youth and
Community Development (DYCD) developed an online reporting system that tracks
individual and program level data.
CEO and City agencies use performance data to effectively oversee
the initiatives, focusing on measurable outputs and outcomes. Monitoring has helped CEO staff to
identify providers in need of technical assistance and potential improvements to
program models. Poor performance
has resulted in the termination of contracts and the reallocation of
resources. Vigorous internal
monitoring and data collection allow CEO to target its evaluation resources to
answering research questions that require more focused data
collection.
Evaluation Strategy
