HealthPartners Institute

Home / Centers / Center for Evaluation and Survey Research

Center for Evaluation and Survey Research

Turning insights into action

Better decisions start with better evidence. Many organizations thoughtfully design and implement programs, but knowing what’s working and how to measure and optimize can be complex. Our experts in data collection and evaluation fill that gap, helping teams understand their impact, reach and opportunities for improvement.

We work with you to gather meaningful insights, hear directly from stakeholders and tell a clear, compelling story with your data – so you can focus resources where they’ll make the biggest difference.

What we do

Our Center for Evaluation and Survey Research team partners with program leaders, health care teams, researchers and organizations to collect and turn data into reliable evidence that helps you:

  • Demonstrate impact to leadership or funders
  • Develop, improve or refine your programs
  • Make informed decisions about scaling, sustaining or redesigning initiatives
  • Allocate resources more effectively
  • Understand experiences and effectively engage diverse populations

Our work in action

Read real-world examples of our work in the community.

Ready to explore how we can support your goals? Contact us.

Did you receive a study or survey request from us? Learn more.

Areas of expertise

Evaluation

We design and conduct evaluations that help programs develop, improve and plan for future success. Evaluations clarify purpose and direction and identify opportunities to optimize impact and reduce costs. They can also help strengthen team collaboration, highlight credibility and build the case for future investment.  

Evaluations can take place at any stage – before a program launches or after it’s underway. We deliver findings using best practices for communicating data, making the results easy to understand and ready for action. Our services:

  • Evaluate programs to guide improvement and measure results
  • Develop strategic plans
  • Build team capacity for evaluation
  • Build tools like logic models to show how your program is designed to work
  • Strengthen systems for collecting and using data
  • Create data visuals and presentations that tell your program’s story

Learn more about our evaluation services.

Surveys

Asking questions is easy but doing so effectively and without bias is both an art and a science. 

We specialize in survey research best practices, designing and administering high-quality surveys that capture the insights you need from the audiences that matter most.  

Our experience working with diverse populations across many communities helps you reach more people and get the full picture. Our professional interviewers lead recruitment and survey calls, including in the evenings and on weekends.

Our services:

  • Design, test and validate surveys
  • Create easy-to-use questionnaires with clear formatting
  • Recruit participants
  • Conduct surveys via mail, web, text and/or phone in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali
  • Analyze results and share insights

Take a look at some of our current surveys.

Qualitative data

Qualitative data digs into the “why” behind people’s experiences, uncovering the stories and motivations that shape the data. Whether you are developing a program or evaluating one, our rapid, rigorous and practical methods ensure all voices are represented. 

Our trained facilitators conduct interviews and focus groups in person or virtually. We also collaborate with community experts to support data collection in multiple languages.

Our services:

  • Conduct interviews
  • Convene focus groups
  • Analyze qualitative data
  • Customize analysis plans and deliverables that are high-quality, confidential and actionable

Engagement

Engaged stakeholders bring value to your work. Connecting with them in meaningful ways is key to capturing their insights. Our services in strategic planning and design, facilitated conversation, and reflection on findings can help.

We gather stakeholders from different roles and perspectives to review findings and interpret what they mean together, guiding shared decisions.

Our services:

  • Conduct individual and group facilitation
  • Guide panels and group sessions to support collaborative decision-making
  • Assess and improve meetings and convenings

Recruitment

We offer tailored communication to provide opportunities for potential participants to learn about studies they may be eligible for. We center our strategies on the participant experience and use best practices to gather input and ensure that the voices heard reflect the breadth and depth of those represented. We reach out to individuals based on project needs and can include email, phone, mail and myChart outreach. Our services:

  • Design and staff study awareness communications and events
  • Staff study phone lines and email inboxes, including evening and weekend hours and in multiple languages
  • Test messages to determine what resonates with different populations to ensure efficient and inclusive practices
  • Support participants throughout the study process to optimize retention

Visit Knowledge Exchange for a current list of publications from our Center for Evaluation and Survey Research.

Let’s work together  

Whether you have a specific need or are still figuring out where to start, we’d love to connect and explore how we can support your next project. 

Key contacts

Jeanette Ziegenfuss, PhD, Director, Survey and Evaluation Science | Email