According to Trading Economics, n.d., the US unemployment rate, as of Sept. 2021, is at 4.8%, while Fayetteville, North Carolinas unemployment rate has reached 6.4% and the poverty rate is among one of the highest in the state at 19.3% or one out of every 5.2 residents of living in poverty in the Fayetteville area (Welfare Info., n.d.). More distressing is the number of long-term unemployed and the prevalence of long-term unemployment becoming a contributor to food insecurities, homelessness, health concerns and many other major challenges within the community (Sato, 2015).

Equal access and the ability for poor individuals and families to take advantage of the full range of services e.g., health services, education, human services that can achieve universal access to those things that contribute to a high quality of life, and high-quality jobs, education and affordable housing contributes to these types of disparities (Riley, 2012). Action Pathways, Inc., a nonprofit community action agency is a grant funded organization developed to help fight the war on poverty and provide multi-tiered services in food, education, self-sufficiency and housing (Action Pathways, n.d). Community members and stakeholders participate in Community Needs Assessments in a collaborative effort to engage in strategies and planning processes to initiate the process of addressing the access to care barriers.

Modifying hours of service to meet client needs, offering services in alternative settings such as mobilizing worksites, community outreach to deliver services and educate residents on services they are eligible to receive, and eliminating or simplifying administrative procedures and other obstacles; for example, offering scheduling assistance, patient navigation, transportation, dependent care, translation services, or decreasing the number of clinic visits (Riley, 2012). 

Employee motivation would be a barrier to anticipate with this proposal because employee motivation is key to organizations success. The level of commitment, drive and energy needed to accomplish the proposed modifications on employees and possible high demands in productivity, scheduling adjustments placed on them could cause the company to face an exodus of employees that would not be committed to helping the company reach its objectives to improving access to care (McQuerrey, 2018)

The first phase of evaluating the program would be to determine what you want to know and why you want to know it, and what do you hope to learn from your program evaluation. For example, to determine if the organization is meeting the goals of its mission statement, e.g., the appropriate target population, participant coverage from all areas of the program regions, sufficient demographic and literacy-level diversity, and identifying gaps in service. And do the services match the participants needs and is the organization meeting its targets or outcomes (National Reporting System, 2018).

Secondly, designing the type of evaluation, the logic model to show how the organizations activities affect outcomes in logical sequences. Topic and goals  Service delivery and identifying barriers to enrollment for qualified people. Inputs  Case managers, and funding. Outputs  written resources, program activities, training and webinars. Outcomes  Short-term, skills development and learning gains, Intermediate, obtaining secondary degree and getting employment, and Long-term gain credentials and higher wage employment (National Reporting System, 2018).

A mixed-methods evaluation design that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative data to produce rich findings that includes surveys, case studies, small sample studies, and structured observations. And the qualitative methods such as interviews and focus groups allow us to probe beneath the surface to answer questions that cannot be addressed with quantitative methods alone (PCMH, n.d.).

Third phase of the program evaluation is to develop a timeline to include all activities for observation and data collection, including how frequently you will collect and review data, e.g., monthly, bimonthly, quarterly. The timeline indicates when data will be reviewed, such as after an intervention is implemented or at the end of the program year. Identify staff who will collect data, review and analyze data, monitor problems, and provide feedback to program staff (PCMH, n.d.).

The following assumptions can be associated with the evaluation process; funding will be secure throughout the course of the project, participants will be motivated to attend sessions. external funds and well-placed change agents can facilitate institutional change, staff with the necessary skills and abilities can be recruited and hired and partnerships or coalitions can effectively address problems (CDC, n.d.)

References

Action Pathways, Inc. (n.d.). About Us https://actionpathways.ngo/about-us/

CDC, (n.d.). Developing and Using a Logic Model https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/docs/logic_model.pdf

Community Tool Box (n.d.). Overview of Tactics for Modifying Access, Barriers, and Opportunities https://ctb.ku.edu/table-of-contents/implement/access-barriers-opportunities/overview/main

Hahn, H., Simms, M., (2021). Poverty Results from Structural Barriers, Not Personal Choices. Safety Net Programs Should Reflect That Fact https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/poverty-results-structural-barriers-not-personal-choices-safety-net-programs-should-reflect-fact

National Reporting System (2018). Evaluating Program Effectiveness: Training Guide https://nrsweb.org/sites/default/files/Planning-Guide-508.pdf

PCMH (n.d.) Mixed Methods : Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis While Studying Patient Centered Medical Homes Models https://pcmh.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/MixedMethods_032513comp.pdf