Looking For Shadows: Evaluating Community Change in the Annie E. Casey Foundation Plain Talk Initiative

This case study explores the evaluation of a large multi-city initiative that sought to make contraceptives available to sexually active youth to reduce pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases. The evaluation design included within-site and cross-site analysis and featured multiple data collection strategies, including a baseline and follow-up survey, a heavy emphasis on qualitative research, and review of administrative data. This case explores the challenges of evaluating a politically charged initiative, with many expectations on the part of many stakeholders