From the Director
The overriding concern of the MSPP technical assistance program is to create self-sufficiency through skills transfer from the TA to the counterpart in the island agency. As we noted in an earlier newsletter (Going Places, Fall, 1994), the counterpart connection is the critical link for this skills transfer process to occur. Given a good match between counterpart and TA, how effective is the skills transfer between the two? And how can it be measured? These are the questions we seek to answer through the evaluation process for the technical assistance program.Each TA is asked to complete a two-part evaluation prior to leaving their island placement. The first deals with their personal experience in the position: what did they get from it, how could the MSPP training program be improved, what were the unexpected roadblocks they met, and other items of this nature. The other part of their evaluation is a professional one, and this deals with their assessment of the success of the project from a professional perspective. Were the stated goals of the project met? What was the relationship with their counterpart? How committed to working on the project was the counterpart? How could this commitment be improved? What level of support did they get from the supervisor for the project? What specific skills did they see the counterpart actually assimilate during their period of service, and how were these demonstrated? This evaluation gives the MSPP staff a fairly clear picture of progress toward the program's goal of creating an increased pool of skills on-island.
As a final step in the evaluation process, the project supervisor is asked to complete a form through which s/he evaluates the success of the project. This instrument looks at the goals of the project, the transfer of skills, perceived quality of professional training and preparation of the TA, and cultural appropriateness of the TA. It provides an opportunity for supervisors to give us additional information about ways we can improve the program.
