The Significance of Program Evaluation

By Eric Lewis, 2^nd-year MDP student

My name is Eric Garlo Lewis, I am from Liberia, West Africa. I am a second-year student pursuing a Master in Development Practice (MDP) at the University of Winnipeg. For my final field placement, I chose Leading4impact, a well-established nonprofit consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning, data management, program evaluation, and facilitation and engagement services. Under the direct supervision of the lead for planning and leadership development, I received mentorship and comprehensive support throughout my placement. The team provided a supportive environment with flexible arrangements, including hybrid work opportunities.

During my placement, one of my primary responsibilities was conducting an environmental scan for the evaluation of a youth employment training program. This scan aimed to provide an overview of factors that contribute to high unemployment rates among Indigenous youth and newcomers in Manitoba. I also worked on an environmental scan for a strategic planning project, researching emerging trends in social work education and practice. The environmental scan emphasized the impact of artificial intelligence on social work education and practice in light of Canada’s immigration trends, demographic shifts, international student population, climate change, and environmental sustainability.

As my final course before graduation in October, I am grateful for the opportunity to complete my field placement at Leading4impact. During this experience, I acquired skills in advanced data management techniques, strategic planning, evaluation methods, and plain language writing.

Reflecting on my experience, I can say:

“Completing my field placement at Leading4impact has been an incredible journey, where I delved into new dimensions of data analysis, evaluation, and plain language writing.”