The Use of Ripple Effect Mapping to Understand Successes of the SC Pregnancy Assistance Fund: A Participatory Evaluation
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The Use of Ripple Effect Mapping to Understand Successes of the SC Pregnancy Assistance Fund: A Participatory Evaluation Approach Lauren M. Workman1,2 · Jennifer S. Browder3
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Objectives The South Carolina Pregnancy Assistance Fund (SCPAF) funded four counties to increase the amount, quality, and awareness of services for young parents; increase educational attainment among expectant and parenting youth; reduce the number of repeat teen pregnancies among youth; and improve parenting skills. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to describe our application of the Ripple Effect Mapping (REM) technique as an innovative evaluation strategy to gather perspectives from SCPAF stakeholders and (2) to share key findings generated by participants in REM sessions on the perceived success of local SCPAF community collaboratives. Methods REM, an innovative evaluation strategy, was used to gather perspectives from SCPAF stakeholders. Five REM sessions were conducted with 52 participants. REM sessions included partner interviews and collective development of visual maps to illustrate stakeholder perspectives of program successes. Visual maps, as well as transcripts of discussions, were analyzed using an inductive approach. Results Stakeholders reported that the connections to resources, supports, and services provided through SCPAF had the potential to alter the life trajectories of expectant and parenting teens (EPT). Stakeholders also described that SCPAF fostered growth in collaboration among partners and reduced duplication of services in funded communities Conclusions for Practice This paper describes how an innovative evaluation strategy was used to provide a space for stakeholders to dialogue, synthesize their experiences, and construct a collective narrative of key program successes. This paper also illustrates how such approaches can be applied to complex community initiatives. Keywords Ripple effect mapping · Program evaluation · Community · Teen pregnancy · Collaboration
Significance What is already known on this subject? Supporting EPT requires comprehensive, community-based, wraparound services from a variety of organizations. However, evaluating * Lauren M. Workman [email protected] 1
Core for Applied Research and Evaluation, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 220 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 103, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
2
Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Discovery Building, Suite 358, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
3
Arnold School of Public Health, South Carolina Rural and Minority Health Research Center, University of South Carolina, 220 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 204, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
community collaboratives to support EPT is challenging because they are complex, multifaceted, and continually evolving. Innovative methods are needed to ensure evaluations capture stakeholder perspectives on a wide range of program outcomes and the conte
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