Measuring success : Evaluation strategies : Toronto drop-in network

Measuring Success: Show What We Know is the primary component of the third phase of the City of Toronto Drop-in Review, which is intended to identify strategies for measuring the success of drop-ins and to support drop-ins in implementing success measurement strategies. [...] The goal of this phase of the Drop-in Review is to provide opportunities for TDIN agency members, through discussion, research and training to build capacity in developing strategies for measuring and reporting on the success of drop-ins and enabling drop-ins to better identify successes and opportunities for improvement. [...] The authors of the evaluative report outline the need for extensive community planning for the increased provision of services that prevent homelessness, and speak to the need for the role of advocacy in the work of homeless-serving organizations, including drop-ins. [...] Evaluation systems currently in use in other jurisdictions have identified a wide array of benefits and skills obtained through drop-ins, including: • The ability to manage accommodation • The ability to obtain food • The ability to form and retain relationships • Increases in the range and type of relationships • Improvements in memory and mobility • The ability to sustain physical health • Impro [...] Because of the prominence of this aspect of drop-ins, there is a tendency in the literature and among respondents to see it as a primary goal of drop-ins and drop-in participation.