Vermont Kitchens Evaluation Report

Executive Summary

The Center for Rural Studies (CRS) at the University of Vermont has been the evaluator of the Vermont Kitchens project, for the first fiscal year time period of September 1, 2000 through August 30, 2001. The Vermont Kitchens project focuses on self-employment strategies of micro-business development and expansion. Through JOLI funding, the project will be able to offer core business training with industry-specific training; provide access to licensed kitchens in participants' communities; link participants with marketing resources; and provide intensive case management that continues beyond start-up for the duration of the project. A major outcome of the Vermont Kitchens project is that participants who complete the program will earn decent incomes, have access to benefits such as health care and child care, and experience growth in their businesses.

Evaluation Methods

This evaluation employed both process and outcome methods to meet the overarching evaluation goals of the project: 1) to provide the quantitative results which indicate the significant and beneficial impact of CVCAC'’ Vermont Kitchens project to the Office of Community Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2) to add a qualitative dimension to the quantitative "what happened"; and 3) to provide ongoing feedback to Vermont Kitchens’ Project Director and staff for the purposes of correction, learning, and development.

Project Highlights

This past year, training and technical assistance provided by the Vermont Kitchens project were offered in two Vermont communities, Morristown (Lamoille County) and Barre City (Washington County). Eighty-two clients were enrolled in the project. Sixty-five percent (65%; 53) of participants were female and 35% (29) were male. The ages of participants ranged from 18 to 63 with the mean age being 38.6, the median value 39 and the mode value 37. All of the participants in the Vermont Kitchens project meet the JOLI requirements of being 100% or more below poverty level. Specifically, 98% (81) of the population is 150% below poverty level with one person being above 150% but below 100% of poverty level.

Seventy-nine people received services from the Vermont Kitchens project during this grant year. Fifteen people (19%) participated in Business Readiness training. Ten clients (13%) participated in the training Self-Employment: From Dream to Reality. Seven people (9%) participated in Entrepreneurial Training. Six people (8%) completed the Vermont Specialty Foods - Develop a Recipe for Success training. Four people (5%) participated in the seminar Mentoring Roundtable. Three people (4%) completed other training that was not specified. All participants received technical assistance for business development.

Several participants experiences successful outcomes this year. Nine business plans were completed by eight participants (10%) (one person completed two business plans). One person (1%) enhanced their business through improvement of their financial system (no capital was acquired). Three persons (4%) expanded their business through the acquisition of capital. Seven people (9%) started a business during this period, creating seven new jobs (numbers reflect jobs created for business owner). Nine participants (11%) received eleven loans (two people received two loans) this past year, with loan values ranging from $500.00 to $25,000.00.

Participant Six-Month Follow-up

The seven responses to the follow up survey were positive. The results indicated that the participant’s involvement in the project had a positive impact on their life, professionally, personally, with their family, and in their community. The clients provided positive feedback on the program. They noted that the program offers participants clear directions to take towards their goals, supportive staff, and good technical assistance. Because of these strengths, clients experienced many successful outcomes. These included receiving funding for their business, starting or expanding their business, being referred to needed services, pursuing other means of income, maintaining or increasing their income, gaining knowledge and skills in areas of finance, business, and general, and improving their self-esteem and confidence

Project Process

The evaluators held a focus group with staff of the Vermont Kitchens project in June 2001 to document project process. Overall, staff feel that their recruitment and advertising strategies have been successful. However, a major barrier to the project is participant retention, due to multiple barriers faced by participants. Staff suggested increasing preparatory work with clients at enrollment to prepare them for business training. Another successful aspect of the program is client referral to external resources. Training sessions have been successful, as instructors have established an individual rapport with clients and fostered a sense of group bonding. Staff suggested offering one-on-one training to follow up with individual needs identified at training. Staff also suggested offering a course that is less focused on the Serve Safe curriculum. The Vermont Kitchens project has been successful in collaborating with project partners. Collaborators have provided a source of referral to the program as well as a resource for clients to address their needs. This topic will continue to be addressed as the project further develops and collaborators take on a more important role as a referral source and a resource.

Recommendations

The Vermont Kitchens project has had a successful first year in providing services to enable low income individuals to take the initial steps in starting or expanding a business. The evaluators recommend that staff continue utilizing the successful methods of project process to recruit, enroll, and train individuals, and work with their needs and challenges so they may experience success. Based on the results of this evaluation report, the evaluation have made the following recommendations to improve participant retention and data collection.

	Over recruit target population to meet desired outcomes
	Diversify course location
	Increase the amount of preparatory work with clients before they begin training.
	Continue to work with clients to overcome barriers and challenges through internal and external referrals
	Tailor both classroom instruction and one-on-one training to meet the individual needs of clients.

	Clients specify their source of referral to the program on the intake form.
	Staff should indicate places where clients are referred for external assistance on both the intake and follow-up forms.

Future Evaluation Activities

The Center for Rural Studies plans to continue with evaluation activities as proposed at the beginning of this grant year. The quantitative component of the evaluation will utilize the baseline data established this grant year to track change over time and provide comparison to the next two years. These types of data permit us to examine quantitatively what happened. The evaluators will collect qualitative data from both staff and program participants. The staff focus group will build upon the project process data collected this year. The focus groups with participants of the project to obtain a picture of how the process of skill transfer worked or did not. The focus group will also provide feedback to their experience in the project, including various training, their ability to obtain resources as the result of counselor referral, and the usefulness of periodically completing the Survey of Perceptions and Circumstances.

Common evaluation methods include pre/post test and satisfaction surveys (mail, telephone, and online), focus groups, interviews, and data base management and analysis. Project evaluators provide interim and annual evaluation reports based on findings.

For more information about the Vermont Kitchens Project, please email Michele Cranwell or Jane Kolodinsky or call (802) 656-3021.

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