Research & Evaluation
The Capacity Collective team can support your program’s research and evaluation needs, from determining the most effective methodology to developing data collection instruments, analyzing data, and creating visually-stunning reports ready for dissemination. With advanced training and decades of experience in the social sciences, we can support qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research and evaluation projects. Our Research and Evaluation team uses a culturally responsive approach, involving your organization and relevant community stakeholders throughout the process. We follow your lead as experts in your communities, and tailor our methods and approach to meet you where you are.
Our Research and Evaluation Services
Needs Assessment
We have experience and training in planning and conducting needs assessments on both large and small scales. We can help you with each step of the process, including: identifying appropriate stakeholders to collect input from, designing data collection instruments (both qualitative and quantitative), collecting and analyzing data, determining recommendations and areas for improvement, and writing final reports.
Program Evaluation
We have experience and training in many ways of evaluating the impacts of programs, including developmental approaches. We do not just evaluate and run–we work with you to weave evaluation into your practices, and to do something with your evaluation results, like advocating for policy change or applying for additional funding.
Qualitative Data Analysis
We support you in learning how to analyze qualitative data (the stories beyond the numbers). This includes the data you collect (e.g. case notes or success stories), and the data artifacts that impact your work, like transcripts, images, policies and articles.
Qualitative Data Collection
We support you in setting up processes and systems to methodically collect data beyond the numbers–stories, case notes, observations and other qualitative aspects of the work you do.
Quantitative Data Analysis
We provide quantitative data analysis services for you, or support you in learning how to analyze quantitative data. This includes data you collect through surveys as well as local, state, and national data.
Quantitative Data Collection
We support you in designing and collecting high quality and meaningful quantitative data. We can help you design the perfect survey and find helpful local, state, and national data to support your program or secure funding.
Research Projects
We are trained as social scientists, and can conduct–or support you in conducting–a wide variety of culturally-responsive research projects. This includes survey design and analysis, focus groups, oral histories, interviews and more. We work with you, and train you in collection and analysis methods, from design to dissemination of results.
Staff Training + Supports
We can provide and/or recommend staff training and supports based on individual staff person’s goals, and/or the needs of the program and organization. This may include training, networking or other customized supports.
Survey Design
We have extensive training in survey design, and can create new instruments for your organizations and/or support you in designing your own surveys. We will help ensure that you are asking the right questions to get the data you want, that you are being culturally responsive, and that the data you collect will be meaningful and useful for your organization’s goals.
Survey Supports
We can support you as you create or revise your survey(s) to ensure you are collecting the information you really want, you are being responsive to your audience, and you are able to use the data to be responsive and achieve your goals.
“Working with the Capacity Collective team was nothing short of a remarkable experience! We partnered with Capacity Collective to design a survey and lead focus group discussions with our residents. The Capacity Collective team was very intentional with executing their methodology for capturing data from our community’s demographics. The information we were able to gather was truly valuable. Our company’s ability to anticipate the needs and wants of our residents is attributed to the efforts of Capacity Collective.”
– Renee Dillard, Community Engagement Specialist, HNN Communities
Recent Projects
Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Prenatal-to-Five Culturally Relevant Measurement Tool
(Phase 1: 2021, Phase 2: 2022)
Working with a diverse and community-representative Resilient Families Advisory Council, The CC is in the process of developing and validating a new, culturally responsive Family Protective Factors tool for BSK to use in multiple Prenatal-to-Five programs. The CC team has conducted a scientific review of existing tools, adapted a selected tool with the Advisory Council, and will be testing the new tool with diverse families in King County to determine its validity in different key communities.
Start Early’s National Home Visiting Summit Poster Presentation (2022)
As a part of the Best Starts for Kids (BSK) Prenatal-to-Five Culturally Relevant Measurement Tool project (see above), the CC designed a poster presentation for a national audience from the home visiting field. This work was done in partnership with Best Starts for Kids (BSK) and a member of the 2021 Resilient Families Advisory Council (RFAC). This poster session summarized phase 1 work funded by BSK to develop a culturally responsive measurement tool for families with children prenatal-to-five in King County, WA.
View a recording of our presentation in English here.
Presentación de póster en la Cumbre Nacional de Visitas al Hogar de Start Early (2022)
En asociación con Best Starts for Kids (BSK) y un miembro del Consejo Asesor de Familias Resilientes 2021 (RFAC), el CC presentó “Medición culturalmente sensible de factores de protección con programas diseñados por la comunidad” a una audiencia nacional del sector de visitas domiciliarias. Esta sesión de pósteres resumió el trabajo de la primera fase del proyecto, financiado por BSK, para desarrollar una herramienta de medición culturalmente sensible para familias con niños prenatales a cinco años de edad en el condado de King, WA.
Haga clic aquí para ver el video con subtítulos en Español
Seattle Movement Arts Center (2021)
Working with a professional dancer in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle, The CC team used a mixture of qualitative (focus groups and interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods to assess what local residents wanted to have offered in a new movement arts center. The goal of this project was to determine how to make a new movement space as inclusive and accessible as possible. We collected input from diverse community members (racial/ethnically, individuals with disabilities, individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+, etc.) to provide a list of recommendations for creating an inclusive space.
HNN Communities (2021)
HNN Communities, a low-income and racially/ethnically diverse apartment community, hired The CC to collect resident feedback on wants and needs related to improving the community, increasing access to resources and opportunities, and improving resident health and well-being. Using a mixture of qualitative (focus group, in-person event) and quantitative (survey) methods, our team conducted an in-depth assessment to provide HNN with resident’s biggest areas of wants and needs, which if addressed, will improve individual health and well-being as well as community life.
Snohomish Health District Health Equity (Phase 1: 2021, Phase 2: 2022)
Snohomish County health data revealed racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, mortality, and vaccination rates. In an effort to understand these disparities from a culturally responsive, community-driven perspective, The CC team is working with the Snohomish District and Snohomish residents from diverse communities to understand how the District can improve the equity and reach of their services to their Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as their refugee, immigrant, and migrant residents. This project is ongoing, and includes both qualitative (focus groups and interviews) and quantitative (survey, website analytics analysis, content coding of social media) methods.
ACDI/VOCA Gender Basics Online Virtual Training (2021)
With the ACDI/VOCA Gender and Social Inclusion team, The CC converted and updated ACDI/VOCA’s in-person Gender Basics workshop to an interactive, blended learning virtual workshop. The goal of the training was to be highly participatory and to promote a culture of gender equality and social inclusion. Using a variety of formats, including Zoom/Teams, Mural, and PowerPoint, we created an interactive virtual training as well as a step-by-step facilitator guide, participant guide, and homework activities.
“The team was highly professional and demonstrated excellent expertise, thoughtfulness, and responsiveness. The work quality is very high, and the team was really easy to talk with. I also appreciated the ability to work together to adapt timelines and be realistic about what would be better for the process we had laid out.”
– ACDI/VOCA
