Here and Next

Pilot Data Analysis & Evaluation Planning

Project Date

Jan 2022—Jun 2025

Type of Evaluation

Outcome, Planning, Process

Setting

Academic, Community-based

Overview

Washington University in St. Louis is a higher education institution whose mission is to “act in service of truth through the formation of leaders, the discovery of knowledge and the treatment of patients for the betterment of our region, our nation and our world.” Washington University is home to eight academic divisions that service and educate thousands of students. 

The Evaluation Center is partnering with Washington University to plan, implement, and evaluate Here and Next, Washington University’s 10-year strategic plan. The Evaluation Center will support tracking progress across initiatives, reporting evaluation findings to key stakeholders, identifying key performance indicators, and developing a more robust evaluation plan for the Research Pillar of the strategic plan.

Project Description

Background

University-wide action plan development took place in January 2022 and the strategic plan was approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2022. The Board’s leadership and the action plans then guided implementation planning and the launch of Here and Next in October 2022. Since then, seventeen initiatives have emerged under three pillars: Research, People, and Community.

The Brown School Evaluation Center is serving as the evaluation partner to monitor the progress of the plan’s implementation and document the outcomes achieved in collaboration with Nancy Mueller, Associate Provost of Institutional Effectiveness, in the Office of the Provost.

Evaluation Center Activities

  • Annually support Objective and Key Result (OKR) development and dissemination for the three Here and Next pillars and all seventeen Here and Next initiatives.  
  • Develop and maintain database of all OKRs shared across Here and Next. 
  • Host annual key informant interviews with Here and Next leaders. 
  • Design and administer annual engagement survey.  
  • Facilitate evaluation planning and KPI identification for the Research Pillar. 
  • Design and administer event feedback surveys, as requested by initiatives. 
  • Plan and facilitate Here and Next leadership retreats.  
  • Consult with initiatives on various evaluation needs, as requested. 

Our Products

  • Quarterly OKR Update Summary 
  • OKR database 
  • Board of Trustees Dashboard Packet 
  • Here and Next Continuous Improvement Report 
  • Research Pillar evaluation plan 
  • Engagement survey findings 
  • Key informant interview findings  
  • Event feedback survey reports 
Funder

Washington University in St. Louis

Contact Person
Hannah Allee, MSW

Hannah Allee, MSW

Interim Director (she/her/hers)