To succeed, an evaluation of the Stargate Theatre Company would have to meet its key goals and objectives by following a task plan, such as the following:

PHASE 1 – DESIGN

Goal I. Review the Literature

Objectives:
I.1 Identify and organize all relevant literature on arts programming for at-risk youth, including unpublished and agency-based reports.
I.2 Read, analyze, and summarize relevant literature. Compile summaries into an annotated bibliography and comprehensive review for future project reports.

Goal II. Coordinate with Study Partners

Objectives:
II.1 Hold kick-off meeting with all study partners to establish shared understanding of evaluation goals and methods.
II.2 Conduct site visits in which evaluators observe program activities and interview staff and participating youth to assess program context and to explore the feasibility of study design options.
II.3 Evaluators create initial study design. Hold second meeting with all study partners to present plan and discuss obstacles.

Goal III. Design Final Evaluation Strategy

Objectives:
III.1 Evaluators revise study plan.
III.2 Hold third meeting of all study partners to review final evaluation plan and to resolve remaining obstacles.
III.3 Create interview protocols, questionnaires, and other data-collection instruments; submit research plan for MTC approval.
III.4 Identify/recruit part-time research assistant(s). Train research assistant(s) in data-collection protocols, including informed consent/assent procedures.

PHASE 2 – IMPLEMENTATION

Goal IV. Conduct Process Evaluation

Objectives:
IV.1 Organize process site visits, implement qualitative data-collection protocols.
IV.2 Investigate structural, policy, and program factors related to youth participation using on-site interviews and reviews of program documents.
IV.3 Collect/analyze pre-existing data about youth participation in Stargate.
IV.4 Prepare draft process evaluation report for review and comment by MTC.

Goal V. Conduct Outcome Evaluation

Objectives:
V.1 Pilot test data-collection protocols.
V.2 Implement data-collection protocols to collect data about 100 treatment youth and 100 comparison/control youth. (If an experimental design is used, sample sizes could be smaller, perhaps 50 treatments/50 controls.)
V.3 Conduct ongoing phone/personal supervision of data collection.
V.4 Assemble all project data into analyzable files.
V.5 Prepare and submit draft data report to MTC for review and comment.

PHASE 3 – DISSEMINATION

Goal VI. Prepare and Disseminate Final Products

Objectives:
VI.1 Use all available project information to prepare comprehensive report and submit to MTC for review 30 days before end of the project.
VI.2 Prepare smaller products by adapting materials in final report (policy brief, video and slide presentations.)