Grants & Awards: DHP: Grant Application & Reference Material:
II. Outcomes and Evaluation [Each of the four Outcome Statements/Evaluations can achieve a maximum of 3.75 points for a maximum total of 15 points]
This section of the application was created to capture qualitative information about the DHP Grants Program and as a way to measure the benefits of DHP funded projects. This new process, which requires each applicant to respond to the same set of outcomes, results in consistency of qualitative data with which DHP staff can evaluate the program and improve its effectiveness. This process also will help applicants to better conceive of, implement and evaluate their projects so that the outcomes will meet archival standards and be of benefit to historical records repositories, their communities and their users.
In this section, describe how your project will lead to each of the intended and predictable outcomes, and how you will monitor and measure your progress in achieving each of those outcomes. For outcomes which cannot be achieved within the grant period, you should indicate how you will evaluate them in the future. Use the Outcomes and Evaluation page to guide you in formatting and writing your Section II Outcomes and Evaluation narrative.
a. Outcomes
The outcomes listed below were devised by the DHP for the program as a whole. In Section II of your narrative, you should develop your own specific versions of these outcome statements, being sure to address the concepts in the DHP outcomes listed below.
All applicants must write outcome statements for DHP Outcomes 1 and 2 below as well as the specific outcomes relevant to their project type. Documentation projects must address DHP Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Arrangement & Description projects must address DHP Outcomes 1, 2, 5 and 6. Archival Needs Assessment projects must address DHP Outcomes 1, 2, 7 and 8.
Your outcome statements should serve as predictions of how your project will look at its completion. They show how each DHP Outcome will be expressed in your project and should focus on what you intend to achieve that can be evaluated. At the end of the project these predictions will give you a systematic way to evaluate the extent to which your project has achieved its intended results.
Outcomes for all projects
DHP Outcome 1: People who are involved in or learn about the project gain increased awareness of the value of historical records and the importance of organizations that preserve and make them accessible.
Such people may include staff and volunteers working on the project and their colleagues; the leadership, board, patrons, and funders of the sponsoring organization; community organizations and individuals interested in the subject matter of the records; teachers and students; civic and political leaders; media representatives; and individuals worldwide who visit the organization's website or learn about its records online. You do not need to address your project to all these groups. Select those, or others not mentioned here, that are appropriate and important to your project.
DHP Outcome 2: Access tools (including MARC records and finding aids) created as a result of the project meet archival standards; needs assessment reports are consistent with archival best practices.
Documentation projects
DHP Outcome 3: Records of New York’s underdocumented population groups and topics not currently in historical records repositories are identified and surveyed.
DHP Outcome 4: The historically valuable records identified and surveyed during the project are donated to an appropriate historical records repository and added to its collection.
Arrangement & Description projects
DHP Outcome 5: Access tools created as a result of this project are accessible online and locally, and potential users are aware of their availability.
DHP Outcome 6: The access tools and the records they describe are used by researchers.
Archival Needs Assessment projects
DHP Outcome 7: The Needs Assessment Report is presented to and discussed by the organization’s leadership and most important stakeholders.
DHP Outcome 8: A plan to meet the needs as described in the Needs Assessment Report is developed and implemented.
Be sure all of your project outcomes are reflected in your Plan of Work (Section IIIa).
b. Evaluation
Project evaluation lets you know whether you have achieved the outcomes you predicted and it provides information to help you improve future projects. It also provides information to the DHP about your work, and helps us to guide future grantees and improve the effectiveness of the program.
In Section II of your narrative, discuss the methods your organization will use to monitor and measure your progress in achieving each of your predicted outcomes.
Note: Some of your predicted outcomes (specifically 4, 6, and 8) may not be achieved during the grant period, so you will not be able to report on them in your project’s final report to the DHP. In these cases, your Section II narrative should describe the methods you will use to evaluate your success in achieving these outcomes over the long term.
Be sure to account for all evaluation activities mentioned in this section in your Plan of Work (Section IIIa).
Complete DHP Grant Application Guidelines PDF format (Requires Adobe Reader)
Table of Contents | Grant Application Narrative Instructions