OUTCOMES AND EVALUATION

LIFT conducts extensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of all of our programs to:

• ensure our ongoing ability to provide mission-driven, high-quality services;
• plan for future programmatic innovation; and
• report accurate and timely information to our supporters in order to keep them informed about LIFT’s programs.

How Do We Measure Success?

Broadly stated, LIFT’s evaluation seeks to answer three questions:

• Who are we serving?
• How well are we preparing them to advocate for themselves in Family Court?
• How are we empowering them to address the emotional repercussions of court-involvement?

Data collected throughout all of our programs enables us to continually improve our services. For example, these reports help to ensure the EI Sites have materials that respond to the needs of our target population, and that all staff have the training and information they need to provide high-quality services. Moreover, because the Family Court system does not collect extensive data on the litigants in the Court, LIFT also uses this data to inform system-wide change and policy discussions with the Court administration.

Program-specific Measurement and Assessment Methods

To measure the success of the Family Court-based Sites, staff collect quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data, entered in databases on PC Tablets at each Site, includes the type of questions asked, demographic information, and whether the person has legal representation. This data is remotely entered into an in-house database every two weeks and analyzed monthly by Site Coordinators and management to ensure that the Sites are responding as effectively as possible to the challenges court-users face. Qualitative data is captured bi-annually through voluntary customer satisfaction surveys presented to those we serve at the Sites. The survey measures the impact of our Sites on a person’s ability to understand court proceedings and navigate the Court effectively. Staff also keep weekly journals at the Site, recording anecdotal evidence and producing Monthly Trend Reports so that LIFT can maximize the impact of our services.

To evaluate the Hotline, staff collect the same information as that collected at the Court Sites. Additionally, we quantify the number of calls answered, the length of each call, and note how the caller learned about the Hotline. Each caller is asked to rate the helpfulness of the call from one (least helpful) to five (most helpful). As with Sites, this data is used to inform planning and staff training.

The Family Legal Center collects quantitative data using a tool modeled on our current data collection instruments used at the Court Sites and on the Hotline, and client satisfaction surveys are performed as a routine part of programmatic operation. We have also hold focus groups with FLC participants and administer pre- and post-surveys.

How Well are We Doing?

Across all of LIFT's programs, an average of 93% of respondents rate LIFT’s services as “extremely helpful.”