Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs)
Overview
Founded and directed by Dr. Jeanette Harder, STEPs is a leader in conducting evaluations of social service programs and policies. Driven by their mission to “promote evidence-informed decision making through research and evaluation,” STEPs uses a collaborative, utilization-focused approach to all its work. “Collaborative” means that the evaluation team works closely with program stakeholders in all evaluation activities, including planning, implementation, and interpretation. “Utilization-focused” means that all evaluation activities, from beginning to end, are conducted with an eye toward usefulness for the program. Additionally, STEPs makes extensive use of data visualization and infographics to make reports accessible and understandable to stakeholders, which is essential for evidence-informed practice.
Questions?
If you would like to know more about STEPs, contact Dr. Harder (jharder@unomaha.edu), or click here to visit their website.

Dr. Jeanette Harder, STEPs Project Director