Sarah Williams Leng Consulting, LLC

This is the good stuff! Reach out to schedule a time to talk about how I can support your work! https://lnkd.in/ega_uBbT

Day 2 of Meet The Panelists!! ICYMI - We're hosting our first-ever panel discussion on “How to effectively use data for strategic impact.” This week I'm introducing the 5 panelists. Meet Sarah Williams Leng, who helps nonprofits with monitoring, evaluation, and data insights and is founder of Sarah Williams Leng Consulting, LLC. I asked Sarah the following 3 questions. 🟢 QUESTION 1: Describe the work you do in one sentence. ⤷ "I partner with mission-driven organizations and collectives to enhance their evaluation and learning strategy, and build insightful data collection and reporting systems." 🟢 QUESTION 2: Briefly explain the lens through which you approach this work around data and strategy for nonprofits. ⤷ "Strategic planning and evaluation are deeply interconnected. The evaluation process before, during, and after a strategic planning process enhances the ability to collect quality, community-centered, real-time data insights that help the organization measure progress, identify strengths and opportunities for improvement, and make informed strategic decisions." 🟢 QUESTION 3: What is one reason you are looking forward to this panel discussion? ⤷ "I'm excited to talk with my fellow panelists on this topic because we all bring unique experiences and perspectives to the table." Registration is still open for this virtual panel. Link for sign-up is in the comments. We encourage you to register soon because we do have a cap on number of attendees. Plus - we anticipate this being a one-time event - the only time you will get to hear this exact group of panelists on this topic.

🎉 Celebrating 2 Years of Independent Consulting with Sarah Williams Leng Consulting, LLC!🎉 I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the organizations, community foundations and coalitions that have trusted me to support them in their journey and mission. Your commitment to your communities is truly inspiring. I am so grateful for the support of my fellow Independent Consultants in evaluation and beyond. I've been blown away by your generosity and encouragement. I've also had the privilege of collaborating with several of you on projects and it has been incredibly rewarding. Cheers to more years! #Consulting #DataInsights #Evaluation #Strategy #SocialImpact

I'm proud to be on an evaluation team supporting the Pennsylvania Safer Communities project, managed by Millersville University of Pennsylvania and funded by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) block grant awarded to the The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. This grant aims to enhance the sustainability of nonprofits providing community violence intervention (CVI) programs in rural areas by expanding Medicaid reimbursement criteria to include peer-to-peer mental health support services. Our trauma-informed, participatory evaluation will document the impacts of these services, using Collaborative Outcomes Reporting (COR) and Contribution Analysis (CA). The evaluation is co-led by Kelly Feltault, PhD and Tasha Parker, Ph.D., LSCSW, MPA with Scot Seitz, PhD handling data management and analysis.I'll support the evaluation and conduct the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) capacity assessment to identify the existing capacity and additional resources needed for organizations to collect, analyze and report their services and outcomes data to Medicaid. #CVI #MentalHealth #SaferCommunities #Rural #MedicaidExpansion #TraumaInformed #ParticipatoryEvaluation

I've been challenging myself at the gym lately, and so I tried out the Stair Climber. Have you tried this devil of a cardio machine? It's not for the faint of heart. I wasn't sure what level I should try, so I went for it and chose Level 10. Thank goodness my FitBit watch soon alerted me to "slow my roll" because I was in the "Peak" heart zone -aka, the "if you keep going at this rate, you'll either stop bc you're too tired to go on, or pass out and embarrass yourself in front of the gym folk" zone. So I listened and slowed my roll to a 7/8, and my Heart Rate reduced to "Cardio Zone" where it should be. I finished the session feeling the burn but not completely wiped out. Like a heart monitor watch, a Learning and Evaluation system can help monitor the overall "heart beat" of an organization, intervention and/or program. Staff can keep track of measured outcomes in real time, and course-correct when necessary. Leadership teams can ask questions and make data-informed, contextualized decisions. Participants and collaborators can give insights into programming that's used to inform future iterations. I build Learning and Evaluation systems that strengthen program impact and inform organizational strategy. https://lnkd.in/g6fqD9yb #organizationalhealth #learning #evaluation

It's not only smart but incredibly effective to first conduct an Evaluability Assessment (EA) before the actual Evaluation. An EA sets an organization or coalition up for a 🙌 Successful Evaluation with ✅ Complete and Accurate Insights. An Evaluability Assessment (EA) has many immediate and long-term benefits: 🎇 Evaluation priorities identified by key informants 🎇 Established demand/buy-in for the evaluation 🎇Increased likelihood of using the evaluation results 🎇 Recommended evaluation type and methods, based on relevance, priorities and requirements 🎇 Suggested improvements for a successful evaluation 🎇 Alignment between program conceptualization and implementation 🎇Review of the existing data collection and management process Schedule a half hour free consult with me for more details: https://lnkd.in/eCBWZKis #evaluation #assessment #readiness #success

Let's celebrate the dedicated teams who have successfully wrapped up the crucial task of finalizing a Strategic Plan for their organizations. 🎉 For those who've not only crafted the plan but also championed its effective implementation, hats off to you! 🙌 For those who haven't seen the Strategic Plan implemented effectively, or aren't sure how to assess its implementation, it's never too late to enhance these efforts by incorporating a Learning and Evaluation framework. 💡 This approach can help assess and refine your goals and objectives, ensuring they (continue to) align seamlessly with your organization's mission. 🎯 Continuous improvement is a journey, and we know that a willingness to adapt and grow is the key to long-term success. Let's empower each other on this strategic journey! 🚀🌟 #StrategicPlanning #ContinuousImprovement #learningculture

Investing in a robust Learning & Evaluation (L&E) infrastructure is like giving your organization a turbo boost for strategic planning goals. 🚀 It's crucial for organizations seeking to ensure the successful implementation of their strategic plans and the achievement of objectives. With continuous learning established through L&E, teams can adapt to evolving challenges and leverage opportunities. 📈 Organizations can identify and mitigate risks early on, optimize processes and help streamline operations, all ensuring a more resilient and forward-thinking approach to strategic planning. Ultimately, a well-established Learning & Evaluation framework serves as a proactive tool, aligning actions with goals, enhancing accountability, and driving long-term success in organizational strategic planning. 🎯 #StrategicPlanning #Learning #Evaluation

Impact Evaluation often steals the limelight in program evaluation. While it's popular, it is often not the right fit for your program's journey, and can lead to findings that are incorrect and/or impractical. In this new blog post, dive into the three key evaluation approaches—Developmental, Formative, and Summative—that play distinct roles at different phases of your program. https://lnkd.in/daag2RCZ