Working with community partners
to advance human services and improve lives.
IMPACT PLANNING & EVALUATION
Meta House and IMPACT Planning & Evaluation have worked together since 1993, partnering on multiple federal grants.
“We are always impressed with the skills that IMPACT Planning & Evaluation contributes to our projects. From the planning of the evaluation design to the final evaluation report, the team of Lisa Larson and Erin Malcolm has always brought a high level of professionalism, pragmatism, attention to detail, and clear communication to the program evaluation process. Because of our work with them, we have had reliable information for improving our programs and for demonstrating our successes to potential funders.”
Andrea Jehly, Meta House
HOW WE BEGAN
In 1965, the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and the Milwaukee County Board of Public Welfare formed the Mental Health Planning Committee to conduct studies and facilitate coordination between the County and United Way in funding mental health and developmental disability services.
The Mental Health Planning Committee was incorporated as a private, non-profit corporation in 1974 and became the Mental Health Planning Council (MHPC). That same year, MHPC was formally designated as a planning agency for Milwaukee County. The council developed the state-mandated annual plan for mental health, alcoholism, drug abuse and developmental disabilities.
In 1980, MHPC was designated as the Citizen Participation Council for Title XX Social Services Planning in Milwaukee County, and the agency changed its name to the Planning Council for Mental Health and Social Services, Inc. In 1987, the Council merged with the Southeastern Wisconsin Health Systems Agency, and became the Planning Council for Health & Human Services, Inc., specializing in all aspects of community health and well-being for the seven-county area of Southeastern Wisconsin. The Planning Council was instrumental in establishing IMPACT 211 in Milwaukee and assisted with the analysis of call data
for reports published in 2008 and 2013. In 2013, the Planning Council joined IMPACT’s family of services as IMPACT Planning & Evaluation.
Our approach and services
IMPACT Planning & Evaluation works in partnership with community leaders, decision makers, and service providers committed to improving the well-being of residents in Southeastern Wisconsin. Our role is to research community needs; identify best practices; evaluate programs and initiatives; and provide recommendations to address issues such as substance use, mental health, and promoting healthy families.
We work in partnership with organizations to understand their history, culture, and capacity to design and implement evaluations that are feasible and help them achieve their goals. We value and support a utilization-focused approach, using quantitative and qualitative data to identify community needs, system improvements, project successes, and lessons learned. We offer a range of evaluation partnerships, including providing technical assistance/consultation, partnering with internal evaluation staff, and conducting third-party/external evaluations. Our approach to evaluation is guided by our commitment to collaboration, learning, equity, and sustainable systems change.
Our Services
- Needs assessment and evaluation readiness
- Evaluation design and planning
- Theory of change and logic model development
- Evaluation capacity building
- Collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data
- Performance and fidelity monitoring
- Assistance with grant management
- User-friendly reporting for diverse stakeholders
- Continuous quality improvement
Recommendations grounded in data - Sustainability planning
“In putting it together, I marveled at how much we’ve achieved in spite of all the change that we’ve experienced in the last year! I hope you enjoy the read, and that it makes you feel as proud of the work we’ve done as we are.”
Gerry A. Howze, Director of Program Services, PEARLS for Teen Girls
