Program
Assessment...
is a Strategic Capacity
of a Full Access Legal Services System.

New! Click here for our new article profiling four state leaders who are using program evaluation as a tool for accountability, quality, effectiveness and growth -- topics right at the heart of the mission of every state justice community. (pdf file - 101Kb)

Program assessment is a key to building a comprehensive, integrated legal services delivery system that expands access and delivers more and better services for clients.

• It identifies high-performing programs that can provide "best practice" models for replication elsewhere within the state and around the country.
• It supports effective technical assistance to under-performing programs.
• It provides information that anchors a program's strategic marketing efforts in the demonstrated results (outcomes) being actually delivered to clients and communities.
• It enables a state community to celebrate innovation and success.

Program assessment is a powerful tool for maintaining an ongoing conversation among program leaders, funders and partners about opportunities for improving outcomes for clients. It is an essential capacity of a full-access legal services system.

We have been pioneers in designing program assessment systems for deployment in legal services programs for the poor throughout the United States. This began with our work in the mid 1970s helping the Legal Services Corporation to develop its first statistical reporting and peer review evaluation systems. It continued through the 1980s and 1990s as we helped IOLTA programs and other state funders to implement breakthrough program assessment tools including self assessments, Desk Reviews and outcome measures.

Click here for an overview of program assessment as a strategic capacity of a Full Access legal services system.