User:III (Program coordinators)/sandbox

Assessment

-the action or an instance of making a judgment about something : the act of assessing something :  appraisal assessment of damages an assessment of the president's achievements.

A Program Coordinator is someone who is responsible for the daily operations and decision making that supports a specific program or initiative. This role is found in the health care and education fields and in some business organizations. The term "program" can be used to describe any project with a specific time frame, delivery method and outcome. For example, a health care program to reduce diabetes will have a specific time frame, well-defined steps and tasks, a target audience and a desired outcome. A marketing program includes the same items listed above but is focused on increasing sales of a product, not reducing diabetes.

The skills required to become a program coordinator are fairly consistent, regardless of the field. These skills include working with multiple, conflicting priorities, creating a project plan, communications and interacting with people at all levels of the organization. Formal post-secondary training is common but might not be a job requirement, depending on the work environment. For example, formal training in social work is necessary to work in this position in a social services agency but is not relevant in a manufacturing company.

The primary responsibility of a program coordinator is to ensure that the program is delivered properly. The actual details of the program material are the responsibility of the trainer, manager or another staff member who has expertise in this area. In most cases, the actual program is delivered by a subject matter expert or front-line team member. For example, a customer service program is delivered by the customer service representatives, but making sure they are all trained and following the program is the responsibility of the coordinator.

The organizational structure varies across different industries, but this usually is considered a senior administrative role. Most program coordinators do not have management responsibilities but work closely with a team of people all dedicated to the delivery and support of the program. For this reason, interpersonal skills are extremely important.

Career advancement opportunities for a program coordinator include project management or the roles of supervisor or program manager. A minimum of four years of experience as a program coordinator typically is required to qualify for these roles. Many people who want to advance their careers take part-time courses to expand their skill set. Possible areas of interest include written communication, conflict resolution, advanced computer skills and management.

The roles and responsibilities of assessment coordinators can vary significantly based on the needs of the schools in which they’re employed. The educational requirements needed to obtain the position can also be very different, resulting in a broad range of salaries.

At one end of the spectrum, the job may consist mostly of clerical duties. At the other end, it can be a much more specialized position involving program evaluation, statistical analysis and faculty and student development.

If an assessment coordinator is assigned clerical duties, some of the responsibilities could include day-to-day administrative tasks, such as entering records into a database, collecting documents, processing paperwork and organizing and scheduling meetings. Although these tasks are typically assigned to administrative assistants or clerks rather than assessment coordinators, budget cuts can sometimes result in the need for employees to double-up duties.

The more common role of today’s assessment coordinators plays right into the job title itself: assessing programs. Coordinators may often be tasked with developing and implementing assessment plans that are viable and focus on the most important learning outcomes of the program. They may evaluate and improve goals, prepare a plan to gauge whether objectives are being met and demonstrate that assessment outcomes are being used for program improvement, especially in regards to student learning.

Assessment coordinators may often engage in much of the following activity as they work toward evaluating and improving school programs and student performance:

Reviewing educational directives with faculty, staff and parents Determining program effectiveness and instituting any necessary changes Ensuring programs comply with local, state and federal regulations Establishing educational standards and developing policies that ensure they are met Monitoring student progress and resolving issues that may arise along the way Directing teaching methods and content of programs Determining the allocation of funds needed to operate effectively and efficiently Writing instructional pieces describing the program Soliciting program funding from external sources, including businesses, local government and the community

To perform these functions, an assessment coordinator must be organized and possess a keen attention to detail. Analytical aptitude and the ability to interpret data typically are a must, as is a talent for meeting deadlines and managing multiple tasks simultaneously.

Along with strong communication skills, assessment coordinators generally need to be comfortable working independently or within a team environment.