Although in the past ACÁ lacked the resources to fund streamlined outcome or impact research, we are starting now to incorporate a measurement system of impact right from the onset of each new project. We are currently looking for interns or volunteers with experience or expertise in this field - if you're interested in working with us, we'd love to hear from you.
The true measure of program effectiveness is the changes—over and above what people would have accomplished on their own—that have come out of ACÁ’s programs and initiatives. These changes can be seen not only in the way people grow and eat food, or increases in household income, but also in they way they think about and interact with the environment and the community.
Recently there has been much discussion about how to measure ACÁ's community impact in quantifiable terms. To this end, ACÁ is initiating a joint project with Social Service students from Iteso University. As part of their social service requirement, these students will be interviewing past ACA students and using the surveys they have developed to quantify the impact they've made on individuals and communities. International Interns will be accepted from Middlebury university, George Washington University and McMaster University as practicum students to track our impact.
Measuring the Short & Long-Term Impact
Short term: In the short term we can measure increased diversity, or agricultural yields as farmers shift from conventional to organic growing practices. In the medium term, they can gauge the impact of providing schools with the seeds to grow and the effect of providing students with nutritious lunch food
Project evaluation will be accomplished by means of documenting actual day to day results such as numbers of people trained by subject as well as an analysis of the benefits achieved by such education. The training in organic food production and environmental protection will be evaluated by the degree (percent) to which revenue increases to offset the cost of garden site operations and the increased demand and projected growth of training costs for 2007-2009.
These are possible ways in which we'd like to be able to quantify our impact in the future:
- Mapping the increase of requests denied from farmers, production and currently, ACA cannot respond to the requests for assistance that frequently arise.
- Numbers of seminars, eco- courses and school presentations.
- Keep records of number of kilos of food put into rural marginalized families
- The non invasive health factors which can be measured in participating schools.
- Increased growth of co-operative markets in Lerma Basin,
- Number comparative interim charges from initial Community Needs assessment results
- Number of local / or school markets or food concessions established – parent-operated
Long Term: But in the long term, it will be the participants of ACÁ programs—farmers, students, teachers, mothers, professionals—that return to their own communities as catalysts for greater change and education – who will be generating impact. ACÁ's impact is a regenerative ripple by past students of our programs. Measuring this amazing multiplier effect is a process which we are refining.
These are possible ways in which we'd like to be able to quantify our impact in the future:
- Number of models transplanted and in use in other areas of Latin America.
- Number of successes negotiating support (economic) for farmers practicing environmentally responsible methods of food production.
- In the area of micro-enterprise training, we look for number of jobs that were created along with documented improvement of income.
- The extent to which the association achieves self sufficiency for each of the on-site operational models and the degree to which each contributes revenue for the purpose of developing support systems for participating growers.
- Measurable benchmarks for achieving increased income in marginalized regions.
- Reduction in agricultural waste, pollution & water quality and improvements in family health.
- The degree to which the students from rural schools, communities, gardeners and growers are the catalyst for an ongoing ripple effect of active alliances and partners networking with other regional, national and international organizations, universities.
Gathering and interpreting this information is a necessary but somewhat daunting task for ACÁ. Needs and impact assessement is one area in which we are currently accepting intern and volunteer applications - if you have experience to share, please let us know.
