Chapter 5, Section 3: Evaluation Strategies
In an effort to measure the effectiveness of Indiana’s NPS program, the NPS/TMDL section developed an evaluation strategy framework that is updated annually. The goal of this strategy is to develop and use indicators, both social and environmental, to establish baselines, and improve performance-monitoring systems, including a description at both the state level and project level of evaluation activities. The goal also strives to document what the state and citizens do, and the impact of those actions on the environment, as well as integrate the NPS program with the monitoring and assessment programs. The strategy will be implemented in a graded/stepwise approach with full implementation of the strategy in the NPS program targeted for September 30, 2009.
Evaluation framework goals include:
- developing indicators to improve performance-monitoring systems: administrative, environmental, and social;
- developing logic models with indicators that will be used to evaluate successes and failures of the 319 program and 319 projects and assist in planning;
- integrating NPS program monitoring results with the Assessment Information Management System (AIMS) database in IDEM’s Assessment Branch;
- providing a mechanism for front-end, formative, and summative evaluations;
- describing the strategy’s adaptive management process by which evaluation results will “feedback” into the project and statewide efforts;
- integrating the evaluation framework goals in the 319 program; and,
- identifying a schedule, with milestones, for fully implementing the evaluation strategy.
The full strategy is included as Appendix D.
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