Applied Research & Evaluation

Family Connection Partnership: Evaluation of Community Collaboratives

Metis Associates has been actively involved with Georgia’s efforts to reform and improve social services since 1988.  One of the ways in which the state has sought to enhance outcomes for children and families is through a statewide project called Family Connection, overseen by the Georgia Family Connection Partnership.  Through this project, local collaboratives have been established in all of Georgia's 159 counties to improve results for children and families in education, health, child welfare, and economics. Although Georgia faces some of the nation's most difficult challenges associated with poverty, local Family Connection collaboratives are demonstrating success in improving indicators of child and family well being.  

Metis has been involved in evaluating Family Connection since 1995. Through the Atlanta office, its staff members provide technical assistance to 10 local collaboratives in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Metis helps these groups undertake evaluation, needs assessment, and strategic planning activities, helping them relate the results of their work to their specific activities and their geographic locations. Metis also participates on the Georgia Family Connection Partnership’s statewide evaluation team, which designs studies of the statewide initiative, including testing its theory of change.