Implementation Plan Proposal
The implementation plan defines how the Member Co-op Match program will be put into practice. The plan contains a description of both the qualitative and quantitative methods of collecting data for the research; the rationale for the selection of procedures for collecting the data; a justification of the validity and reliability of the quantitative data collected; and the challenges expected during collection of data for the implementation of the program.
The Member Co-op Match Program designed by Land O'Lakes is aimed at providing funds and grants to eligible local projects so as to improve the quality of life in the communities (Land O'Lakes Inc., n.d.). Therefore, a successful implementation of the program will incorporate the maximum contribution and effort from all the relevant stakeholders. They include the non-profit organizations, the Land O'Lakes Inc. employees, and management as well as the public. These individuals will provide the necessary information and support required for the full implementation of the program. And so, both the qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection will be utilized to gather the information.
Research Methodology
Data collection methods
Quantitative data collection methods depend on structured data collection tools and random sampling that fit varied experiences into preset response categories. They offer results that can easily be summarized, compared and generalized (Neuman, 2005). For the Member Co-op Match program, the quantitative data will provide a guideline in the understanding the scale and magnitude of the eligibility and impact of the local projects by providing its numerical illustration. As such, survey questionnaires will be employed to gather quantitative data. According to Neuman (2005), surveys are important when collecting data from large groups since standardization is key to yielding valid results. The questions constructed will both be close and open-ended with responses taking the form of rating on a given scale (i.e. from a scale of 1 to 4 ranging from agree to disagree). Other responses will include categories where respondents can choose from. The rating scales will help to quantify the respondents' behaviors and attitudes (Noor, 2008). The study will employ the paper and pencil questionnaire that will be sent to different individuals in the communities and a few distributed within the Land O'Lakes staff as well as in some non-profit organizations.
Besides questionnaires, in-depth interviews will be carried out to collect qualitative data. Both the in-person and telephone interviews will be used in the study. According to Neuman (2005), qualitative data collection methods play a significant role in impact evaluation by offering useful information to comprehend the processes behind the expected outcomes and examine changes in the perceptions of people's well-being. Specifically, the in-depth interviews will be used to enhance the quality of the survey questionnaires by assisting in generating an evaluation hypothesis, clarifying the findings from the quantitative evaluation as well as reinforcing the design of the survey-based questionnaires (Boyce & Neale, 2006).
Rationale for data collection methods
The use of survey questionnaires is the most appropriate method of collecting quantitative data since a large number of individuals are required for the study, and the responses needed require clearly defined and a preset set of questions (Noor, 2008). Moreover, questionnaires are expedient for both the summative and formative purposes. Based on previous research, some of the benefits of using survey questionnaires include:
• Questionnaires are appropriate for collecting descriptive data
• They can cover a broad range of topics
• They are a cheap method of collecting data.
• They can easily be analyzed using different types of software.
Though surveys are beneficial, they also have some weaknesses as data collection methods. They include:
• Self-reporting may lead to biased reporting.
• The data collected may be generalized but lack depth.
• The questionnaire may not offer the adequate information required.
Given the above, the in-depth interviews will be used to counter the weaknesses of the survey questionnaires as well as provide the in-depth information needed. Accordingly, this methodology has the following benefits:
• It provides detailed and comprehensive data.
• It allows in-person contact with the respondents
• It captures both the affective and cognitive responses.
• It permits the clarification of questions thereby enhancing the probability of useful responses.
The use of in-depth interviews is, however, expensive and time-consuming. Moreover, a respondent may alter the information as a result of selective perceptions, recall error or the desire to gratify the interviewer (Boyce & Neale, 2006). All the same, several studies suggest that in-depth interviews are useful, reliable and valid in collecting qualitative data as well as improving the quality of information collected from quantitative methods (Noor, 2008).
Justification of the data collection method.
The use of survey questionnaires together with in-depth interviews will ensure reliability and validity of the information collected. Reliability is the degree of consistency of data collected while validity is the accuracy and precision of the information produced (Roberts, 2006). External validity of the quantitative data collected will be established through accurate sampling, performing data triangulation, participation feedback, regression analysis and experiment review. To ensure validity, the method of data collection will be transparent and systematic. Also, an audit trial and documentation of the flow and dispensation of data will be maintained. Content validity will be guaranteed through randomly selecting items that are representative of all the information (Noor, 2008).
On the other hand, reliability will be established by performing a test-retest reliability whereby the same questionnaire is provided to the same individuals after a given period (Roberts, 2006). This will help in examining the consistency of the responses from the different questionnaires. The data collected will be verified by conducting consisted checks for accuracy and completeness as well as providing reports that compare the data collected with those from other sources.
Challenges in data collection
There are certain challenges that will be encountered while gathering the necessary data and information for the implementation of the program. Critical information may be missed out if the questions were not clearly documented from the start (Neuman, 2005). Thus, it can be difficult to accurately capture this information at the later stages of data collection. Another challenge that is common to many studies is the time limitation (Noor, 2008). The respondents may find it difficult to comprehend the purpose of the study thereby providing inaccurate or incomplete information due to the amount of time that is prescribed for the questionnaire or interviews.
Additionally, lack of resources such funds can be a major downturn during data collection. Shortage of funds may result in limited opportunity to capture all the information required since the audience to be reached will have to be trimmed. This will likely affect the validity and reliability of the data collected since the sample selected will not be representative but rather limited to a particular area (Roberts, 2006). And so, extensive prior research will be conducted so as to be aware of the potential challenges during collecting of data, and formulating ways to deal with or eliminate such problems.
Particularly, for the Land O'Lakes Co-op Match program, the data to collect requires representative information from the communities and so conducting a research to understand the community needs and ensure accurate sampling is necessary. Also, given the large target audience, proper planning in terms of time and finances will be crucial to ensuring success in collecting both the qualitative and quantitative data.
Conclusion
Proposing and defending the methodology for implementing a program evaluation plan is a tedious yet necessary task. Both quantitative and qualitative methods must be examined to determine if using only one method or combining both methodologies will best represent the true nature of the phenomenon being investigated.
The quantitative data analysis technique will establish guidelines for what evaluators are to do with the new data gathered from resources such as; closed-ended questionnaires/questions, checklist and scale forms of data, absolute number of years and/or service contracts. The qualitative data analysis methodology will permit program evaluators to analyze the accrued data from sources such as; open-ended questionnaires/questions, individual notes obtained from training programs/group programs, descriptive-form records, case examples, and any other types of non-quantitative information. Researchers must establish the most efficient form/s of analysis when conducting research because it is vital if one wants to ensure that the research is both valid and reliable. Without validity and reliability research should not be attempted.