Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vocational Program Evaluator

🎯 Role Definition

As a Vocational Program Evaluator, you are the critical link between our program activities and their real-world outcomes. You will be responsible for systematically assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of our vocational training programs. Your work will involve a blend of quantitative rigor and qualitative insight, as you design studies, collect and analyze data, and engage with students, staff, and employers. Ultimately, your findings and recommendations will be instrumental in refining our strategies, maximizing participant success, ensuring accountability to our funders, and shaping the future of our workforce development services.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Program Coordinator
Data Analyst / Research Analyst
Case Manager (with a research/data focus)

Advancement To:

Senior Program Evaluator or Lead Evaluator
Director of Research and Evaluation
Chief Impact Officer / Director of Strategy & Impact

Lateral Moves:

Policy Analyst
Grants and Compliance Manager
Data Scientist (Social Sector)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Design and implement comprehensive evaluation frameworks and logic models to measure the effectiveness and impact of diverse vocational and workforce development programs.
Develop and pilot robust data collection instruments, including participant surveys, interview protocols, focus group guides, and observational checklists, ensuring their validity and reliability.
Lead the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data from various sources, such as program participants, instructors, employers, and administrative databases.
Perform advanced statistical analysis on program data using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata) to identify trends, correlations, and significant outcomes related to participant success.
Conduct in-depth qualitative data analysis of interviews and focus groups to uncover nuanced insights into participant experiences, program strengths, and areas for improvement.
Manage and maintain large-scale, complex datasets, ensuring data quality, integrity, and confidentiality through rigorous cleaning and validation procedures.
Author clear, compelling, and actionable evaluation reports, briefs, and white papers that translate complex findings for a wide range of audiences, from executive leadership to program staff.
Create and deliver dynamic presentations and data visualizations (using tools like Tableau or Power BI) to communicate key evaluation results and strategic recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
Monitor program implementation fidelity to ensure that vocational training activities are delivered as designed and are consistent with best practices.
Assess the long-term outcomes of program graduates, including employment rates, wage progression, job retention, and credential attainment, by tracking participants post-program completion.
Collaborate closely with program managers and frontline staff to foster a culture of continuous quality improvement, using evaluation findings to inform program adjustments and innovations.
Facilitate stakeholder engagement meetings and workshops to co-develop evaluation questions, share interim findings, and collaboratively interpret results.
Conduct comprehensive literature reviews and environmental scans to stay abreast of emerging trends, research, and best practices in vocational education and program evaluation.
Manage all phases of the evaluation project lifecycle, including scoping, timeline development, resource allocation, and budget management, to ensure projects are completed on time and within scope.
Ensure all evaluation activities and data handling procedures are in strict compliance with federal, state, and funder-mandated reporting requirements and ethical guidelines (e.g., IRB).
Provide technical assistance and training to program staff on data collection methods, data entry standards, and the effective use of data for day-to-day decision-making.
Analyze the return on investment (ROI) and cost-effectiveness of vocational programs to demonstrate value to funders and inform future resource allocation decisions.
Develop and manage relationships with external partners, including employers, community colleges, and government agencies, to facilitate data sharing and collaborative evaluation efforts.
Synthesize findings from multiple program evaluations to identify cross-cutting themes, system-level challenges, and scalable best practices across the organization's portfolio.
Evaluate program accessibility and equity, analyzing participation and outcome data across different demographic subgroups to identify and address potential disparities.
Contribute evaluation-related content and data-driven success stories for grant proposals, funder reports, and external communications to support fundraising and organizational storytelling.
Analyze student and participant outcome data, including employment metrics, wage gains, and industry-recognized credential attainment, to verify program impact.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc analytical requests and exploratory data analysis to answer emerging organizational questions.
Contribute to the organization's broader research and learning agenda, helping to shape key inquiry areas.
Collaborate with IT and data systems teams to improve data infrastructure and reporting capabilities.
Participate in cross-functional working groups and strategic planning sessions, bringing an evidence-based perspective.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Quantitative & Qualitative Research Methodologies: Deep understanding of mixed-methods study design, implementation, and analysis.
Statistical Analysis Software: Proficiency in at least one major statistical package, such as SPSS, R, or Stata.
Data Visualization Tools: Experience creating compelling dashboards and reports using tools like Tableau or Power BI.
Survey Design & Implementation: Expertise in developing and administering surveys using platforms like Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms.
Database Management: Competence in managing and querying datasets; proficiency in SQL is a strong asset.
Project Management: Ability to manage complex evaluation projects from inception to completion, including timeline and resource management.
Evaluation Frameworks: Strong command of developing and applying Logic Models and Theories of Change.
Advanced Microsoft Excel: Mastery of pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and other complex formulas for data manipulation and analysis.

Soft Skills

Critical Thinking & Analytical Problem-Solving: Ability to dissect complex problems, question assumptions, and identify data-driven solutions.
Exceptional Written and Verbal Communication: Skill in translating complex data into clear, concise, and persuasive narratives for diverse audiences.
Stakeholder Engagement and Facilitation: Talent for building rapport and collaborating effectively with program participants, staff, funders, and partners.
Meticulous Attention to Detail: A commitment to accuracy and precision in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Objectivity and Ethical Judgment: A strong ethical compass for handling sensitive data and providing unbiased, evidence-based assessments.
Adaptability and Learning Agility: Enthusiasm for learning new methods and technologies and applying them to evaluation challenges.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree or Ph.D.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Social Sciences (e.g., Sociology, Psychology)
Public Policy or Public Administration
Workforce Development or Economics
Statistics or Education Research
A closely related field with a strong emphasis on research and quantitative analysis.

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-7 years of professional experience in program evaluation, applied research, or data analysis, with progressively increasing responsibility.

Preferred:

Direct experience evaluating workforce development, career and technical education (CTE), or other vocational training programs.
Familiarity with government funding streams (e.g., WIOA) and their associated reporting requirements.
Prior experience working within a non-profit, government, or community-based organization.
Proven track record of managing evaluation projects and communicating findings to influence program strategy.