The Mission Continues: A Conceptual Framework and Selected Brief Screening Measures For Evaluating Civic Service and Health Outcomes Among Returning U.S. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan

Abstract: Selecting indicators and outcome measures is an essential step in program evaluation.  Given the distinctiveness and specificity of many community-based programs, nonprofit managers, evaluators, and research teams rarely share the design, development, and decision-making process that transforms good ideas into a cohesive evaluation plan. However, for some national non-profit organizations that serve vulnerable target populations, such as military service members recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, outcomes based accountability and program effectiveness are mission-centric. This paper aims to describe the background, framework, and lessons learned from a multi-year, national program evaluation of The Mission Continues’ Fellowship Program. For this summative evaluation, standardized measures were used to assess the biopsychosocial outcomes of participating in this veteran-focused civic service and leadership program with post-9/11/01 veterans. Consistent use of rigorous program evaluation methods and standardized measures supports the optimization and dissemination of best practices and evidence-based programs for the military and veteran populations.