Ellis Planning Associates Inc. specializes in community health planning and provides consulting services in the areas of training and education, community organizing and community development, designing and planning programs, administration, evaluation, and supporting social entrepreneurs. We are a reliable, creative, and established team of multidisciplinary consultants and provide the following services.

  • Virtual Engagement
    All of the services described below are available using virtual engagement tools. Many of our clients work across geographical distances to engage their stakeholders. The time and cost of doing this in person can be prohibitive, and online alternatives often fail to effectively engage participants. We use a set of virtual engagement tools in Adobe Connect to bridge that gap.

    Our goal is to bring the important elements of in-person meetings to an online venue. Our work with staff and stakeholders can draw from a spectrum of engagement tools, such as high-quality audio and video, real-time written comments, polling, and focused conversations in multiple breakout sessions. We have adapted Technology of Participation group facilitation methods, Appreciative Inquiry, focus group design, and other collaborative planning and evaluation methods to this platform.

    We can incorporate data collection and analysis into your process, starting even prior to registration, extending through meetings, and into post-event phases. Adobe Connect has extensive data collection and storage capabilities, tracking participant responses and other metrics. Our online focus group process can help gather needs assessment and/or evaluation data, then seamlessly communicate results in understandable multimedia form to audiences of any size.

  • Visioning, Planning and Project Management
    galen-shannon-4bEffective organizational and program management begins with a vital process of developing a common vision and mission that provide the foundation for effective planning.Ellis Planning Associates Inc provides the following planning and management assistance services:

  • Assessment and Evaluation Services
    Our consultants do not separate evaluation from any other phase of program planning and development. Our approach is participatory, based on the assumption that program participants are the experts in developing evaluation targets and measures, and interpreting and analyzing data and findings. Our evaluation designs are driven by the needs of the client and community and include continuous feedback for program improvements.Evaluation experience has included developing evaluation goals and objectives, logic model development, designing appropriate data collection instruments, data collection, data analysis, and reporting.Assessment and evaluation experience includes:

    • Community needs assessments
    • Participatory data analysis (including community residents and youth)
    • Theory of change and logic model development and training (short video demo)
    • Evaluation of community initiatives (e.g. local ordinance, educational, and media campaigns)
    • Conference and training evaluation
    • Coalition process and effectiveness surveys and other collaboration evaluation
    • Measures of community-level efficacy and sense of control
    • Case studies
    • Key informant interviews
    • Focus groups (and training of focus group facilitators)
    • On-line surveys
    • Embedded evaluation
    • Distance learning evaluation
  • Facilitation, Training, and Communication
    galen-facilitating-2bDrawing on principles of adult learning and empowerment education, Ellis Planning Associates Inc. provides curriculum development, training, and facilitation services that engage participants in discovery processes and group problem solving that achieve high levels of change in individuals’ knowledge, beliefs, and skills as well as group or community level change.We specialize in group processes and training programs that demystify highly technical information, improve communication and collaboration, and empower participants and stakeholders to utilize resources previously considered inaccessible to them.We provide:

    • Curriculum development and training design
    • Adult education, training, and facilitation
    • Development of educational materials
    • Meeting and event planning
    • Writing and editing of manuals, articles, planning, and policy documents