Short Course
Evaluating Collaborations
39.99
A practical guide to evaluating coalitions, collaboratives, partnerships, and networks .
Self-Paced
1-2 Hours
Video Lessons
Interactive Activities
This course earns you a certificate of completion from SPS. What you earn.
About the Course
Learn how evaluation can strengthen collective efforts and measure their impact. Whether you're part of a formal coalition or a loose network, this course will help you understand effective approaches for assessing and improving collaborative work.
Course Outline
Who This Course is For
Anyone who does evaluation or program planning work
Community organization staff
Program managers and coordinators
Professional evaluators or researchers seeking to expand their skills
Students in undergraduate or graduate college programs
Why This Format Works
We've designed this short course to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Rather than overwhelming you with extensive readings or providing a list of resources to read on your own, we've created an engaging learning experience that:
-
Respects your time with focused, efficient content delivery
-
Builds practical understanding through interactive elements
-
Provides clear examples of concepts in action
-
Offers a structured path to understanding complex topics
-
Includes a curated list of written resources you can use to further your learning
What You'll Learn
How evaluation can support collective efforts
Where to focus your evaluation efforts
Different approaches for measuring collaborative functioning
Methods for assessing short-term and long-term outcomes
Practical tools for coalition assessment
Ways to use evaluation findings to strengthen partnerships
Course Features
Accessible through any internet browser
Closed captions available for all video content
Certificate upon completion
Ongoing access to course materials
Curated additional resources for deeper learning
Course Outline
What You'll Earn
Our Difference: Why Learn with SPS?
At Strategic Prevention Solutions, we've spent over 15 years translating complex evaluation concepts into practical, actionable approaches for communities. This short course emerges directly from our experience working alongside nonprofits, community coalitions, tribal organizations, and state agencies to evaluate real systems change initiatives.
We designed this course to fill a critical gap between theoretical frameworks and on-the-ground application. While many resources explain what systems change is, we focus on how to actually evaluate it in your community context. Our approach comes from having done this work ourselves - from assessing collaborative functioning in Alaska Native communities to evaluating statewide prevention initiatives.
Community-Centered Expertise: Our team brings both academic rigor and deep community experience.
At SPS, we are:
-
Published researchers and evaluation experts who prioritize making complex concepts accessible
-
Practitioners who have implemented systems change evaluation across diverse contexts
-
Facilitators who understand the importance of building evaluation capacity that fits local needs
We believe evaluation should enhance, not burden, your work. This course reflects our commitment to making evaluation methodology accessible and meaningful for those doing the critical work of community transformation.
About the Author
Frequently Asked Questions
Maria G.C.
“As someone with no background in systems change evaluation and minimal experience in program evaluation, I found this course to be straightforward, engaging, and accessible. It was easy to navigate and took only an hour of my time. I’ll definitely remember these concepts in my work moving forward!”