FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2008
IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov
Plan
Projects for Accountability with Shaping Outcomes Course
WASHINGTON, DC--Museum
and library professionals are encouraged to participate
in Shaping Outcomes, a low-cost online course on outcomes-based
planning and evaluation (OBPE). The instructor-mediated
course, which will help participants improve program designs
and evaluations, was developed in 2007 through a cooperative
agreement between the Institute of Museum and Library
Services (IMLS) and Indiana University-Purdue University,
Indianapolis (IUPUI).
Participants in Shaping Outcomes work at
their own pace through five interactive modules over approximately
four weeks. The best time to take the course is prior
to applying for IMLS grants because it helps applicants
refine project purposes and evaluation plans. Upon completing
the course, museum and library professionals will be able
to:
- Communicate program benefits to the community
- Determine which programs to expand, support,
or replicate
- Promote partnerships and collaboration
- Attract new funding sources
Show the human impact of museum and library
programs
- Articulate the purpose of their program clearly
and open channels for healthy discussion of key issues
- Produce grant proposals with data showing
what a difference their institutions are making in the
community
- Measure effectiveness of current programs
IMLS is funding a number of Shaping Outcome
scholarships for museum and library professionals serving
economically challenged populations. Assistance is based
characteristics of the parent
institution and the individual’s commitment
as reflected in a project
proposal. People interested in this option should
email
Shaping Outcomes staff. Without the scholarship, the course
costs $150 per person.
"We have found OBPE incredibly helpful
in designing and evaluating our programs,” said
Jane Pickering, Deputy Director and Assistant Director
for Public Programs at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural
History. “It provided a framework for us to think
about what we were doing and why, and, in particular,
to identify the all important 'outcomes' as well as the
'outputs' that we had been measuring. It enabled us to
ask the right questions of our audiences and refine our
program to better serve their needs.” Pickering’s
remarks, and others who have taken the course, can be
found under the testimonial section of the Shaping Outcomes
Web site.
For educators and librarians, "continuing
education" units may be available. To learn more
or to register for the course, please explore the Web
site www.shapingoutcomes.org,
or contact the project manager by email at outcomes@iupui.edu
or through postal mail at:
Shaping Outcomes Continuing Education
755 W. Michigan St., UL 3100
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Voice: 317-278-2385
Fax: (317) 278-1807 (Call first) |
