Projects with partners across the region
A sample of the organizations River City Research works with and the questions we’re helping them answer. Each engagement starts with what a program, partnership, or funder needs to learn, then builds the evaluation, data, or tools to get there. We’ll add results here as each project progresses.
Inland Story Lab
The question: Is a three-year creative youth development program for ages 13–26 building belonging, confidence and leadership among young writers and artists?
Our role: External evaluator for a program funded by Allen Family Philanthropies. We designed the evaluation framework, logic model and data specification, and we conduct certified program quality observations, analysis and annual reporting.
Approach: YPQA program quality observations, the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Survey, review of student creative work over time, teaching-artist interviews, and attendance data the program collects. The design keeps the burden on youth low, and each year young people help interpret the findings.
Deliverables: Evaluation plan and logic model, data specification, instrument set, annual learning memos, a final evaluation report and funder brief, and a handoff of tools so the program can keep measuring on its own.
Economic Mobility Program
The question: The Economic Mobility Program provides case management, financial coaching, career pathway planning, and coordinated referrals to help families in Northeast Spokane build lasting financial stability. How is the program improving participants’ income, savings, housing, employment, and wellbeing?
Our role: Evaluation and reporting partner for Year 2 of a three-year, foundation-funded initiative.
Approach: We work with program staff to define reported indicators and set data requirements for the program’s new platform. Outcomes are measured from paired intake and exit data for the full enrolled cohort. We compare comprehensive and light-touch case management to test whether deeper engagement produces better results. We also analyze immigrant and refugee, youth, and entrepreneurship participants as distinct cohorts.
Deliverables: Measurement and data plan; mid-year progress brief; analysis workbook with every figure traceable to source data; Year 2 outcomes report and one-page summary; staff workshop and data reporting guide.
Car-share Fleet Data Pipeline
The question: How is the co-op’s electric car-share fleet being used, and how can staff, members, and funders get accurate, timely information for planning and decisions?
Our role: Data and reporting partner, and the co-op’s local liaison in Spokane.
Approach: An automated pipeline pulls booking and vehicle data from the car-share platform’s API into Google BigQuery. A live Data Studio dashboard sits on top of it, and the same data feeds regular reporting to funders.
Deliverables: Automated data pipeline; live dashboard; monthly funder reports; documentation and handoff.
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