Evaluation of the ASG Mentoring Programme 2022/2023
The overriding goal of the non-profit Agrarsoziale Gesellschaft e.V. is to work for the improvement of living conditions in rural areas and in agriculture. Qualified and committed people are a central resource for the positive development of rural areas. Against this backdrop, an ASG mentoring programme was created in which students and graduates who would like to become professionally involved in and for rural areas are supported on their career path over a period of 18 months. The ASG Mentoring Programme is based on the three classic mentoring components: The tutorial support of mentees through the formation of mentoring tandems with leaders from science, administration, politics, non-governmental organisations and business, the acquisition of competencies by the mentees within the framework of the accompanying seminars of the programme, ASG conferences/seminars and the development of personal contacts and networks through the professional exchange with all stakeholder groups within the programme as well as in the context of the ASG conferences and seminars. CEval GmbH was commissioned with the accompanying evaluation of the mentoring programme. The central task of this evaluation is to provide the ASG staff who are responsible for the implementation of the project with timely and relevant information. Of particular interest are questions about satisfaction with the seminars offered, the quality of the tutorial relationships, and the professional and personal benefits of the relationship for both sides. Methodologically, the evaluation is based on standardised online surveys of the mentees and/or mentors at six points in time and on qualitative interviews of the programme leaders and mentors as well as on (focus) group discussions with the mentees.
Implementation of an evaluation system for courses at the August Everding Theatre Academy
The August Everding Theatre Academy offers various artistic study programmes at Bachelor’s and Master’s level. In order to determine the students’ satisfaction with individual courses and to identify potential for improvement, the August Everding Theatre Academy has commissioned CEval GmbH to implement an evaluation system for courses at the August Everding Theatre Academy. The aim is to create a regular database for the further development and optimisation of the courses. Methodologically, semi-standardised surveys will be designed for various teaching formats, which can be used for the evaluations of different courses (practically oriented and theoretically oriented courses as well as individual lessons).
Synthesis and Meta-Evaluation of Project and Program Evaluations of the Centers for German and European Studies (CGES)
In view of its long-term goal to contribute to the internationalization of the science and innovation systems in Germany, Europe and worldwide and to shaping education and research in relation to Germany and Europe, the DAAD supports interdisciplinary Centers for German and European Studies (CGES) at universities abroad. The Centers train future experts in the field of German and European Studies, among others, by offering respective study programs. They also engage in a discourse on topics related to Germany and Europe with stakeholders from science, politics, and the interested public.
To continuously improve the effectiveness of its work, the DAAD had mandated CEval GmbH with the implementation of a meta-evaluation and synthesis regarding the CGES. The object of the study were the project and program evaluations on the CGES implemented between 2015 and 2020. The task entailed a criteria-based synthesis of the findings documented in the evaluation reports as well as an assessment of the quality of the evaluations themselves (meta-evaluation). The objective of the study was, among others, to assess the effectiveness and goal achievement in relation to the CGES from a birds-eye-view, to identify potentials for improvement and to develop recommendations for the future support of the CGES as well as in view of any future CGES evaluations.
Methodologically, the study was desk-based. For the meta-evaluation, the evaluation team developed an assessment scheme as the primary data collection tool. On that basis, the evaluation reports were systematically analyzed and assessed according to a set of previously defined quality criteria and in relation to six different dimensions of analysis. Similarly, an analysis grid was developed for the purpose of the synthesis. It served to derive a coding scheme and, on that basis, implement a qualitative content analysis of the evaluation reports, which then allowed for a synthesize of the evaluation findings.
Evaluation of the German-Argentinean University Center (DAHZ-CUAA)
The German-Argentinean University Center (DAHZ-CUAA) is a binational university center that aims at promoting and strengthening the institutional, academic, and scientific cooperation between Argentina and Germany. The main objective is the creation of innovative, binational study programs with double degrees. In order to achieve this objective, there are three program lines to support universities in both countries, i.e., the German-Argentinean program to promote binational study programs with double degrees (main program line), the I.DEAR program (Engineers Germany-Argentina), and the program to promote accompanying research projects.
To gain insights into the successes, potentials for improvement, and the progress made in the three program lines and to be able to further develop the programs and to make them even more effective on that basis, the German office of the center mandated CEval GmbH in cooperation with smep consult e.U. with an evaluation of the center’s work. The mission of the evaluation was to assess the relevance, effectiveness (i.e., goal achievement and impact), efficiency, and sustainability of the center and its program lines and to put forth recommendations that allow further development and possibly improving the program lines in the future.
Methodologically, the evaluation was based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. It included the analysis of documents and secondary data, site visits in Germany and Argentina, guided interviews, group discussions and online surveys.
Evaluation and counselling of the project “Digital Civic Education and Counselling”
Against the background of the increasing digitalisation of all areas of society, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), whose central task is political education and counselling, has launched the internal project “Digital Education and Counselling – FES digital”. Its aim is to anchor digital formats in the FES’s education and advisory services.
The FES had commissioned schmidt evaluation und CEval GmbH to conduct an accompanying evaluation of the project, which was to contribute to clarifying the project goals and indicators as well as those of the individual digital formats and to continuously monitor the achievement of goals.
Methodologically, the evaluation was based on the analysis of existing secondary data, on a benchmarking with regard to suitable target indicators and target values as well as on the implementation of a baseline, interim and final survey by means of online questionnaires and online self-assessments on the respective status of the digitalisation of the political education offers.
Evaluation of the prevention campaign “Mach Dein Passwort stark!”
In January 2019, the Ministry of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia (IM NRW) commissioned the NRW State Criminal Police Office (LKA NRW) to develop a prevention and publicity campaign to combat ‘cybercrime’. The aim of the campaign was to strengthen the population in NRW in the safe use of digital end devices and thereby reduce opportunities for cybercrime in the broader sense and make the work of the perpetrators more difficult. The cross-media campaign “Make your password strong!” was launched in October 2020.
CEval GmbH was commissioned to carry out an accompanying evaluation for the campaign with the two sub-areas of process and impact evaluation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the implementation process as well as the effectiveness of the “Make your password strong!” campaign and to derive conclusions and recommendations for future police prevention campaigns based on these results.
The evaluation was based on a broad mix of qualitative and quantitative data collection involving all actors involved in the design and implementation of the campaign as well as the target groups. The design also included an experimental trial set-up for comparative impact evaluation of the different components of the campaign. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods as well as qualitative content analyses were realised within the framework of the data analysis.
Evaluation of the programme “Mentoring Hessen – Frauen in Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft”
Mentoring Hessen is a joint project of Hessian universities and universities of applied sciences to advance the careers of women. The aim is to increase the percentage of women in attractive specialist and management positions in both academia and business. With the help of four different lines of support, young women are supported and guided through the decisive phases of their professional development from student to professor! The close cooperation with renowned companies and research institutions also opens up career opportunities outside of academia. Through mentoring, training and networking, young women are supported in the decisive phases of their professional development.
The goal of the evaluation was to analyse the implementation of the concept and organisational model of Mentoring Hessen in order to develop recommendations for the optimal further development of the programme based on the findings. The evaluation adopted two perspectives of analysis: 1. analysis of the conception, implementation and goal achievement of Mentoring Hessen: Evaluation of the programme conception and implementation, assessment of the achievement of objectives and effectiveness, derivation of recommendations for optimising the conception, implementation and achievement of objectives; 2. Analysis of the interaction of the stakeholders in the joint project Mentoring Hessen: Analysis of the structure and its functionality as well as evaluation of the interaction of the different groups of actors, derivation of recommendations for the optimisation of organisational structure and cooperation.
The data collection combined a document analysis with a comprehensive secondary analysis of existing data from target group surveys, guided interviews and group discussions. The data analysis combined descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.
Study program evaluations of the Theaterakademie August Everding
The August Everding Theatre Academy, Munich, is an academic teaching and learning theatre that offers eight courses of study in the field of stage professions at Bachelor’s and Master’s level. These are realised in cooperation with the four Munich universities and the three Munich state theatres.
The Theatre Academy has commissioned CEval GmbH to carry out evaluations of five study programmes. The aim is to collect an evaluation of the theoretical and practical orientation by the students of the various study programmes in the sense of quality development, in order to further optimise the study programmes on the basis of this data. For this purpose, the students are surveyed online using partially standardised questionnaires.
Employee survey on working time and mobile work
The TU Darmstadt (TUD) pursues the goal of developing working time models and regulations for mobile work that are oriented towards the needs of employees. In this way, the satisfaction of employees with the organisation of working time and place of work is to be promoted. To this end, the TUD Executive Board commissioned CEval GmbH to conduct an employee survey on the topics of working hours and mobile work.
The surveys were thematically oriented in such a way that, on the one hand, the lived practice of organising working time and using mobile work was recorded, and on the other hand, the respondents’ satisfaction with this practice as well as suggestions and wishes for the future. Without this being foreseeable when the study was initiated, the Corona pandemic led to considerable adjustments in the design of working conditions during the survey period, especially with regard to mobile work. During the fine-conception of the study, these changes were taken into account by also including questions on the (new) experiences regarding mobile working during the pandemic.
The data collection combined a document analysis with a partially standardised online survey of all employee groups at the TUD as well as guideline-based interviews. The data analysis combined descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.
Accompanying evaluation of the support programme “Female Producer Collective” (2022)
The support program “Female Producer Collective” of GOFORMUSIC gGmbH is a special support project for female producers, who receive coaching in the areas of “Creativity and Idea Generation”, “Recording & Sound Design”, “Mixing & Mastering” and “Business & Marketing”. The aim of the project is to specifically promote female producers, to counteract the low quota of women in the production sector and to inspire female musicians to produce. CEval GmbH was commissioned with the accompanying evaluation of the funding project. From a methodological point of view, focus group interviews and a short survey via a standardized questionnaire had been conducted for this purpose.
