Evaluation of the Small Public Water System Technology Assistance Center Project at Penn State Harrisburg

摘要

The Small Public Water Systems Technology Assistance Center (SPWSTAC) located at Penn State Harrisburg was established in 1998. The objective of the SPWSTAC project is to provide training and technical assistance to operators of small public water systems as well as instruction to trainers in adult education techniques and small system compliance and variance technologies. The objective of this project was to determine (1) if the objectives and goals of the project were being met and (2) to identify areas of the Center's program needing improvement. Facets of the project that were evaluated included training programs for operators and trainers; the Center's website, newsletter and library; marketing of the programs; location of the programs; and profiling of target audience. Through this evaluation it can be concluded that the Center is on course in achieving its objectives through the creation of exceptional training materials and the delivery of a quality training experience. Several key recommendations intended to enhance the SPWSTAC project are offered, which include improvements to the evaluation methods used to measure impact of training and development of a marketing strategy to enhance operator and trainer interest.