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REPORT TO WESTERN MAINE COMMUNITY ACTION

REPORT TO WESTERN MAINE COMMUNITY ACTION. EVALUATION OF WESTERN MAINE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS November 2007 PREPARED BY. Background and Objectives. WMCA’s stated objectives in conducting this research are to:

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REPORT TO WESTERN MAINE COMMUNITY ACTION

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  1. REPORT TO WESTERN MAINE COMMUNITY ACTION EVALUATION OF WESTERN MAINE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS November 2007 PREPARED BY

  2. Background and Objectives WMCA’s stated objectives in conducting this research are to: 1. Execute a comprehensive survey / review of the quality, accessibility, and need for the services provided to current service recipients in the tri-county area. This review should include inquiries, as well, as to the services not provided but needed by agency clients.

  3. Background and Objectives • Develop recommendations arising from the review that will assist the agency in improved implementation and delivery of services and ways by which communications between the agency and its client can be improved. 3. Establish a baseline of statistical information on the organization, its services, program accessibility, community needs, trends, etc.

  4. Methodology • Pan Atlantic SMS Group used a three-tiered approach to achieving the project objectives outlined earlier (see chart below): • Initial strategic planning and project definition with WMCA • Market research – three phases • Strategic planning at the conclusion of research

  5. Initial Project Planning with WMCA Client Focus Groups Quantitative Telephone Research Expert Strategic Interviews Final Strategic Planning with WMCA Strategy / Implementation Recommendations Development Methodology PROJECT FLOWCHART

  6. Methodology Quantitative Telephone Research Sampling: • The core reporting contained in this report is on the base sample of n = 600 clients. Data is also provided (see cross tabulations, bound separately) on the results obtained for the larger samples in each county, for comparative purposes.

  7. Methodology • The total results of this study command statistical validity to the 95 percent confidence interval level with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percent. In other words, if the study were to be replicated, 95 times out of 100 the results would be within 3.9 percentage points of the results achieved for the current survey. • Because respondents were asked only to answer questions about programs in which they participate or have participated, the sample sizes pertaining to each individual program are smaller than those for the full sample. The margins of error for specific sub-samples are significantly higher.

  8. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of and Participation in Select WMCA Programs Have you participated in or used _____ over the past five years? Are you aware of ____? • As displayed in the chart on the following slide, the majority of respondents are aware of the CareerCenter (86.2%), Tri-County Health Services (72.2%), the WIC program (79.8%), and the LIHEAP program (72.2%). However, only 22.0% of respondents are aware of the Volunteerism program.

  9. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of and Participation in Select WMCA Programs * Note: This question was asked only of respondents living in Franklin County (N=57).

  10. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of and Participation in Select WMCA Programs

  11. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the CareerCenter How did you find out about the CareerCenter?

  12. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the CareerCenter • Of the 305 respondents who use or have used the CareerCenter’s services, approximately one third (31.5%) found out about the CareerCenter by “word-of-mouth (family, friends).” Other top answers provided by respondents include: “referral from another agency” (23.6%) and “life circumstances” (11.5%).

  13. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of the CareerCenter Programs Do you know what organization or organizations sponsor the CareerCenter?

  14. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of the CareerCenter Programs • The majority (84.9%) of the 305 respondents who use or have used the CareerCenter reported that they do not know who sponsors the program. Other top answers include: “state government” (3.9%), “Maine Department of Labor” (2.6%), and “unemployment” (2.3%). Only 1.6% of respondents are aware that WMCA sponsors the CareerCenter.

  15. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the CareerCenter Experience The next few questions will ask about your experience at the CareerCenter. We will use a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is “very poor”, 2 is “poor”, 3 is “average”, 4 is “good’, and 5 is “excellent”. How would you rate ____________? • The CareerCenter was rated very favorably on each attribute, with the majority of respondents rating the program as either a “4” or a “5.”

  16. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the CareerCenter Experience

  17. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the CareerCenter Do you have any suggestions for how the CareerCenter and its programs and services could be made better for you and/or your family? • As displayed in the chart on the following slide, of the 305 respondents who use or have used the CareerCenter, 38.4% indicated that they do not know how the CareerCenter could be improved, and 24.6% of respondents had no suggestions to make on improvements (total 63.0%). Ten percent (10.2%) of respondents made positive remarks about the CareerCenter.

  18. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the CareerCenter • Of the suggestions that were offered, 5.9% of respondents called for “better personal service / communications,” while others (5.6%) suggested a “wider selection of jobs / more [information] about jobs.”

  19. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of Tri-County Health Services How did you find out about Tri-County Health Services?

  20. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of Tri-County Health Services • Approximately four in ten (42.2%) of the 187 respondents who use or have used Tri-County Health Services indicated that they found out about Tri-County Health Services by “word-of-mouth (family, friends).” Other key ways respondents found out about Tri-County Health Services include: “medical personnel / institution” (17.1%), “advertisement in phonebook” (7.0%), “educational setting” (6.4%), and “common knowledge” (5.3%).

  21. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of Tri-County Health Services Do you know what organization or organizations sponsor Tri-County Health Services?

  22. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of Tri-County Health Services • The majority (85.6%) of the 187 respondents who use or have used Tri-County Health Services indicated that they do not know who sponsors the program. Other top answer include: “Western Maine Community Action” (4.3%), “state government” (3.2%), the “United Way” (2.7%), and a “miscellaneous agency” (2.1%).

  23. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the Tri-County Health Services Experience The next few questions will ask about your experience at Tri-County Health Services. We will use a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is “very poor”, 2 is “poor”, 3 is “average”, 4 is “good’, and 5 is “excellent”. • The ratings of Tri-County Health Services are highly positive, with more than half of the 187 respondents rating each attribute as a “5.”

  24. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the Tri-County Health Services Experience

  25. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving Tri-County Health Services Do you have any suggestions for how Tri- County Health Services and its programs could be made better for you and/or your family? • As indicated in the chart on the following slide, of the 187 respondents who use or have used Tri-County Health Services, 43.3% indicated that they are unsure as to how the program could be improved, and 20.9% have no suggestions for improvements (total of 64.2%). Approximately eight percent (7.5%) of respondents made positive remarks about Tri-County.

  26. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving Tri-County Health Services • Of the suggestions that were offered, 6.4% of respondents recommended Tri-County Health Services “expand hours of operation / appointments,” while others (4.8%) requested Tri-County “hire additional staff members.”

  27. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the WIC Program How did you find out about the WIC program?

  28. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the WIC Program • Of the 237 respondents who participate or have participated in the WIC program, 43.0% learned of the program by “word-of-mouth (family, friends).” Other respondents found out about the program through “medical personnel / institution” (25.7%) and “referral from another agency” (11.4%).

  29. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of the WIC Program Do you know what organization or organizations sponsor the WIC program?

  30. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of the WIC Program • The majority (75.5%) of the 237 respondents who participate or have participated in the WIC program reported that they do not know who sponsors the WIC program. Other top answers include: “Western Maine Community Action” (5.1%), “DHHS” (4.2%), and “state government” (3.8%).

  31. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the WIC Program Experience The next few questions will ask about your experience with the WIC program. We will use a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is “very poor”, 2 is “poor”, 3 is “average”, 4 is “good’, and 5 is “excellent”. How would you rate ___________? • The WIC program was rated very favorably on each of the attributes listed above, with the majority of respondents rating it either a “4” or a “5.”

  32. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the WIC Program Experience

  33. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the WIC Program Do you have any suggestions for how the WIC program could be made better for you and/or your family? • Of the 237 respondents who participate or have participated in the WIC program, 39.7% do not know how the program could be improved, and 18.6% have no suggestions for improvements (58.3%). Seven percent (7.2%) have only positive remarks to make regarding the WIC program. • Of the suggestions offered, 5.1% of respondents recommended that the WIC program “expand food choices,” 3.8% have encountered “issues with grocery stores,” and 3.8% have had “issues with checks [and] suggested [a] card system” instead.

  34. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the WIC Program

  35. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the Volunteerism Program How did you find out about the Volunteerism program?

  36. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the Volunteerism Program • Of the 16 respondents who participate or have participated in the Volunteerism program, three reported that they learned of the program through a “referral from another agency.” An additional three respondents reported that they found about the Volunteerism program “through volunteer work.”

  37. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of the Volunteerism Program Do you know what organization or organizations sponsor the Volunteerism program? • The majority of respondents (93.8%) who participate or have participated in the Volunteerism program are unaware of who sponsors the program. One respondent (6.3%) indicated awareness of the fact that WMCA sponsors the Volunteerism program.

  38. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the Volunteerism Program Experience The next few questions will ask about your experience with the Volunteerism program. We will use a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is “very poor”, 2 is “poor”, 3 is “average”, 4 is “good’, and 5 is “excellent”. How would you rate _____________? • The majority of the 16 respondents who participate or have participated in the Volunteerism program rated the program very well, as either a “4” or a “5.”

  39. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the Volunteerism Program Experience

  40. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the Volunteerism Program Do you have any suggestions for how the Volunteerism program could be made better for you and/or your family?

  41. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the Volunteerism Program • When asked how the Volunteerism program could be improved, few respondents had any specific suggestions (75.0%). Approximately thirty-eight percent (37.5%) of respondents are unaware as to how the Volunteerism program could be improved; another 37.5% have no suggested improvements. • Of the suggestions that were offered, 12.5% of respondents recommended WMCA “improve marketing of services.”

  42. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the LIHEAP Program (Franklin County Only) How did you find out about the LIHEAP and/or energy conservation programs? *Reflects the total number of program participants in Franklin County, not just those included in the representative sample of 600 respondents.

  43. Quantitative Telephone Research Source of Awareness of the LIHEAP Program (Franklin County Only) • Of the 57 respondents who participate or have participated in the LIHEAP and/or energy conservation programs (Franklin County), 31.6% learned of the program(s) by “word-of-mouth (family, friends).” Other top answers include: “referral from another agency” (24.6%) and “advertisement in newspaper” (10.5%). About nine percent (8.8%) of respondents indicated that they do not know how they found out about the program.

  44. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of the LIHEAP Program Do you know what organization or organizations sponsor the LIHEAPand/or energy conservation programs?

  45. Quantitative Telephone Research Awareness of the Sponsoring Organization of the LIHEAP Program • The majority (56.1%) of respondents who participate or have participated in the LIHEAP and/or energy conservation programs in Franklin County reported that they are unsure of who sponsors the program(s). Other top answers provided include: “Western Maine Community Action” (22.8%), “state government” (10.5%), and “Community Concepts” (5.3%).

  46. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the LIHEAP Program Experience The next few questions will ask about your experience with the LIHEAP program. We will use a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is “very poor”, 2 is “poor”, 3 is “average”, 4 is “good’, and 5 is “excellent”. How would you rate _____________? • In Franklin County, the LIHEAP program was rated very favorably on each of the attributes listed in the table on the previous page, with the majority of respondents rating it either a “4” or a “5.”

  47. Quantitative Telephone Research Ratings of the LIHEAP Program Experience

  48. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the LIHEAP Program Do you have any suggestions for how the LIHEAP and/or energy conservation programs could be made better for you and/or your family?

  49. Quantitative Telephone Research Suggestions for Improving the LIHEAP Program • Of the 57 respondents who participate or have participated in the LIHEAP and/or energy conservation programs in Franklin County, 42.1% said that they are unsure as to how the program(s) could be improved and 19.3% had no suggested improvements (61.4% total). • Other top answers provided include: “generally positive comments” (8.8%), “increase aid / aid needs to last entire season” (7.0%), and “better phone service” (5.3%).

  50. Quantitative Telephone Research Unaided Awareness of WMCA as the Sponsoring Organization of Each Program The following summary chart displays the percentages of program participants from each WMCA program who are aware that WMCA is the sponsoring organization.

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