Projects Conducted by Victoria Dougherty

Participatory Evaluation with Youth Leaders, New York Foundation’s Youth Organizing and Cultural Change Fund (YOCCF) (co-funded by the Ford and Kornfeld Foundations)

Victoria is leading a two-year participatory evaluation of YOCCF’s first cohort in New York City. The inaugural cohort includes ten New York City-based youth-led and youth-serving organizations using arts and cultural change in their organizing strategies. Victoria is working with a team of four youth leaders to evaluate the cohort’s progress in building community, fostering collaboration, and strengthening organizing skills to advance systems change.

Evaluation, Reading Promise Week Festival, Read by 4th

Victoria conducted a qualitative evaluation of the Reading Promise Week Festival in Philadelphia to help tell the story of the festival and to elucidate the community's perceptions of festival value, festival goals and impacts, and recommendations for improvement for future years. Data collection methods included a participant survey, observation of events, extensive interviews, and focus groups with festival participants and stakeholders. Read by 4th used the report to engage Festival planning committee members around a number of decision points or future festival planning.

Evaluation of Summer Literacy Program, Read to Succeed

Victoria led a developmental evaluation of this Philadelphia summer literacy program designed to prevent the summer slide for elementary-aged students. Victoria and her partner Elena Ragusa, pivoted quickly in the spring of 2020, to conduct a formative evaluation of the program as it tested a new model of virtual delivery. This evaluation provided real-time feedback to staff for improving the program from one cohort to the next over the course of the summer.

Theory of Change and Outcomes Development, Tech Impact

Tech Impact is a non-profit organization that empowers nonprofits to use technology and provides career training for young adults to enter the IT field. Victoria led a team of staff and board members through the development of a comprehensive theory of change to articulate the interwoven mission of Tech Impact. Tech Impact’s multifaceted approach to using technology to empower nonprofits spans several lines of work each with its own set of approaches and specific outcomes. Victoria worked with the team to develop a recommended set of outcomes to measure cross-organizational goals as well as goals for each strand of work within the Theory of Change.

Action Research, Salvation Army Expansion of the Bloom Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative (in partnership with Jodi Paroff Consulting)

Victoria and Jodi jointly serve as the evaluators for a Federal Department of Justice grant the Salvation Army of Southern New England received to expand their Bloom Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative to New London Connecticut. Victoria and Jodi are learning partners to the Bloom staff for the three-year initiative, collecting and sharing real-time data on the local health and human services landscape, changes in awareness of human trafficking locally, and successes and gaps in the Salvation Army's expansion efforts. Victoria and Jodi work closely with the staff, using data to inform their work as it unfolds.

Evaluation of the Skilled Immigrant Integration Project, Global Talent Bridge, World Education Services

Victoria Dougherty Consulting and Voz Evaluation Services have evaluated four rounds of the Skilled Immigrant Integration Pilot (SIIP) for Global Talent Bridge (GTB). Through four rounds, SIIP has now helped 32 communities (8 per year) across the country boost their local partnership efforts to aid skilled immigrants in their pursuit of education and employment. GTB has brought these 32 communities together in a national network. For this evaluation, Victoria and her partner, Vivian Figueredo, worked with the GTB team to articulate their Theory of Change for the Skilled Immigrant Integration Pilot (SIIP) as it was being conceived, which became the blueprint for this evaluation, as well as a tool for the GTB leadership team to clarify and communicate their vision for SIIP. Victoria and Vivian helped GTB utilize the lessons learned from the pilot to refine the Theory of Change and the design and implementation of round 2 of SIIP. Victoria Dougherty Consulting and Voz Evaluation Services subsequently completed evaluations of rounds three and four of SIIP and are now helping GTB design an evaluation for round 5, which is shifting some of the design of SIIP, based on lessons learned in the prior years' evaluations.

Evaluation of the Whole Family Approach in the South Bronx and Jersey City, Pascal Sykes Foundation (conducted for Drive Evaluation Studio)

Victoria assisted Drive Evaluation Studio in a two-year evaluation of the Pascal Sykes Whole Family Approach initiative in the South Bronx and Jersey City. The Whole Family Approach (WFA) is an asset-based and family-centered social service model using a collaborative approach of a team of organizations to support families to achieve a range of goals from financial well-being to education to health and relationship building. The evaluation assessed the results of the approach for families, as well as the extent to which the collaborative approach contributed to family results. As a member of the evaluation team, Victoria contributed to the evaluation plan, development of data collection tools (including surveys, interviews, and observation protocols), data collection and analysis, and report writing and presentation.

Evaluation of the Strengthening Philadelphia's Corridor Management Initiative, Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (conducted with Voz Evaluation Services)

Victoria partnered with Vivian Figueredo of Voz Evaluation Services to conduct an evaluation of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC)’s Strengthening Philly’s Corridor Management Initiative (CMI). The pilot program -- conducted in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Commerce and LISC -- sought to strengthen the capacity and professional development of individuals and organizations that focus on commercial corridor and business district management in the city. Victoria and Vivian's evaluation included the development of an impact map and evaluation plan, pre/post survey of participants, program observations, and individual and group interviews with participants, coaches, trainers, and supervisors.

Evaluation of Transform South Jersey (TSJ), Community Foundation of South Jersey (conducted for Drive Evaluation

Studio)

Victoria worked with Elena Tamanas Ragusa of Drive Evaluation Studio to evaluate the TSJ project- a two-year community-led effort in six communities across southern New Jersey to increase social cohesion and build community capital in each community. The goal of TSJ is to strengthen the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy in the communities. Victoria and Elena developed an Impact Map with the foundation and other lead stakeholders to articulate the project goals, short and long-term outcomes, and indicators to measure progress. Victoria and Elena used surveys, interviews, and focus groups over the two-year period to measure progress and achievement of the outcomes.

Evaluation of the Capital Region Early Childhood Network, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

Victoria Dougherty Consulting led an evaluation of a network of early childhood collaboratives for the Foundation. The network consisted of five community partnerships whose goal is to promote early childhood development within their communities. Through the development of a Theory of Change (TOC), Victoria helped the Foundation team and the five community partnerships hone a shared vision for the cross-site network and for the five individual sites. Victoria evaluated progress in each of the five sites and by the cross-site network over the two-year initiative. Victoria shared progress routinely in a developmental evaluation approach with the partnership leads and the Foundation staff. At the close of the effort, Victoria shared results and applicable lessons for future network support efforts with a cross-department Foundation team.

Evaluation of the Career Pathways Initiative, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

Victoria directed a three-year evaluation of the Foundation’s Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), which consists of nine cross-sector partnerships delivering education and training programs, in conjunction with supportive services, to help low-skilled low- literate individuals in Hartford prepare for, and obtain career pathway jobs. Victoria led a team that evaluated the partnerships in each of these nine programs as well as the design, implementation, and results of each of the nine program models. In the interim and final reports, the team presented results for each partnership and program model as well as the cross-program findings and lessons for future workforce efforts by the Foundation.

Development of Theory of Change, Design of Internal Evaluation System, and Ongoing Evaluation Coaching, Global Talent Bridge, World Education Services

Victoria Dougherty Consulting guided GTB through the articulation of its vision and strategies in a Theory of Change (TOC). Victoria and her team then developed an evaluation framework and a plan for implementation of the framework to enable GTB to systematically measure their progress in achieving the goals of their TOC over time. Victoria and her team continue to provide coaching assistance to GTB as they implement their internal evaluation system.

Evaluation of the Bridge to Employment Program, Jewish Education and Vocational Services

Victoria directed a case study evaluation of the Jewish Education and Vocational Services (JEVS)’ Bridge to Employment (BtoE) Program for low-income youth in Philadelphia. BtoE was designed to train recent high school graduates to become patient service representatives with the Einstein HealthCare Network. Through this case study evaluation, Victoria documented the recruitment, training, internship, and employment support phases of the work, evaluating the results of each phase and the lessons learned for future application.

Strategy Review, Awards for Continuing Excellence (ACE), Inglis

Victoria Dougherty Consulting conducted a strategy review of the ACE awards program for Inglis. Inglis provides services, supports, and housing to individuals living with physical disabilities. After 10 years of providing support to the greater disability services community through ACE, Inglis wanted to assess the effectiveness of ACE and consider options for the award program's future. Victoria Dougherty Consulting led a hybrid assessment and strategic planning project, through which Victoria provided an in-depth look at the history and success of ACE and facilitated the board and staff leadership's consideration of future options for ACE.

Evaluation of the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress Initiative with Equal Measure

As a team member on Equal Measure’s evaluation of the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress Initiative, Victoria Dougherty managed all aspects of the evaluation of this three-year, 10-city, $50 million initiative designed to help 100,000 low-income youth improve their career readiness. The Citi Foundation invested in five flagship grantees pursuing different pathways for youth, including college access and success, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. Our evaluation examined the initiative's impact on three levels: the youth, the organizations, and the field.

Development of Foundation Evaluation Framework for the Andrus Family Fund

As the Andrus Family Fund (AFF) embarked on a new investment strategy, Victoria Dougherty Consulting helped the Foundation determine how it was going to evaluate the impact of its new strategy. Victoria Dougherty Consulting worked with the Foundation leadership to determine the outcomes to be measured, the data to be collected, the methods for collecting and analyzing the data, and processes for reporting, sharing, and using the results on a systematic basis.

Scan of Talent Attraction and Retention Strategies in Philadelphia for the James L. and John S. Knight Foundation with Equal Measure

As the project manager on the Equal Measure team conducting a scan of the state of talent attraction and retention in Philadelphia, Victoria Dougherty was involved in all aspects of the project, including determining the data collection sources, interviewing respondents representing economic development, education, human resources, civic engagement and leadership in Philadelphia, analyzing the data, and contributing to the final report depicting the state of talent attraction and retention and offering recommendations for the Knight Foundation’s consideration.

Planned and Facilitated Thought Leader Forum on the Systematic Study of Local Adaptations, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Planned, managed and facilitated a thought leaders forum for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) on the systematic study of local adaptations. The purpose of the forum was to advance understanding of how local adaptations affect the spread and quality of evidence-based and evidence-informed programs or practices. Victoria Dougherty Consulting provided a full package of forum services from background research, agenda planning, and materials development to on-site facilitation to analysis and reporting of the meeting results with recommendations for subsequent activities.

Planned and Facilitated Meeting of Foundation Evaluation Leaders on Social Media Measurement in Philanthropy, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Conducted background research on social media measurement in philanthropy, including surveying foundation evaluation leaders. Planned and facilitated a foundation meeting on social media measurement for approximately 40 philanthropy evaluation leaders, hosted by RWJF. Based on meeting results, developed a reference guide to aid efforts to measure the impact of social media in philanthropy.

Evaluation Capacity Building, Philadelphia Futures

Victoria Dougherty Consulting strengthened the capacity of Philadelphia Futures to evaluate the performance of three of its primary programs: Sponsor-A-Scholar, College Connection, and Outreach Futures by clarifying outcomes, determining the most appropriate comparison data for Philadelphia Futures to use to evaluate its performance against external benchmarks on an ongoing basis, developing a plan for data collection and analysis, and training relevant Philadelphia Futures’ staff on how to operationalize the evaluation plan.

Program Review, Ellis Trust, Philadelphia Futures

Victoria Dougherty Consulting guided Philadelphia Futures through a revision to the mission, goals and objectives of the Ellis Trust for Girls and advised staff leadership on how to best operationalize program revisions to ensure the mission and goals are met. Victoria Dougherty Consulting developed survey tools to collect progress and achievement data from program vendors and participants to track results towards meeting the mission on a systematic basis.

Strategic Planning for the Northwest Victim Services

Victoria Dougherty Consulting developed a three year strategic plan for the Northwest Victim Services (NVS), a nonprofit organization providing supportive services to crime victims in Northwest Philadelphia. Victoria Dougherty Consulting (VDC) worked closely with the staff and board leadership of NVS to develop mission, vision and values statements to reflect the organization’s current work and goals. VDC then conducted an in-depth SWOT analysis and used it with the staff and board to formulate strategies and objectives to meet the organization’s mission and vision. VDC developed a detailed action plan to facilitate execution of the strategic plan.

Development of Theory of Change, Girls for Gender Equity

Led Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) through the development of a Theory of Change (TOC) to guide the organization’s strategic decision-making in the near term including decisions about strategy, program planning, management, and evaluation. Victoria Dougherty Consulting’s TOC work with GGE included guiding the board and staff leadership through the refinement of the organization’s vision, leading the staff and board through the determination of long and short-term outcomes to meet the vision, and development of a program and evaluation framework to round out the Theory of Change, including recommended next steps for completing and operationalizing the TOC.

Development of Evaluation System, Police Athletic League of Philadelphia

Developed an evaluation system for the Police Athletic League to track participation and results of their after-school programs on an ongoing basis. Assessed evaluation needs, identified appropriate items to track and measure, developed processes for tracking, identified technology resources to enable systematic tracking, and provided guidance to launch system implementation.

Conducted Evaluation Training Webinars, Local Funding Partners, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Led a series of Webinars on how to conduct and use evaluation for community-based organizations that are grantees of the Local Funding Partnership program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Provided individualized evaluation coaching to Webinar participants through email and phone consultations during “office hours” available shortly after each Webinar.

Co-led Training of Nonprofit Organization Grantees, MetroWest Health Foundation with Anita Baker of Evaluation Services

Provided evaluation training through a series of workshops with grantees covering topics from evaluation design through data collection, to analysis and reporting. Conducted this training as a subcontractor to Anita Baker of Evaluation Services. Provided ongoing coaching to grantees following the training to aid application of the training material to their individual organizational work.