Peter Clarke

Training Volunteers to Run Information Technologies A Case Study of Effectiveness at Community Food Pantries

Nonprofits are incorporating information technologies (ITs) into direct client services. Organizations may hesitate, however, to assign volunteers to operate these systems, for a variety of reasons. This article reports an experiment testing the capacity of two types of volunteers—“traditionals” (experienced in social services) and “beneficiaries” (from the ranks of the nonprofit’s clientele)—to use an IT for client services at two food pantries. The IT, Quick! Help for Meals, generates customized recipes and food-use tips about fresh vegetables. Results showed that both types of volunteers learned to operate the IT successfully. Traditionals’ use of the IT proved as effective as paid staff’s use in encouraging clients to consume more fresh vegetables. Beneficiaries’ use of the IT was not as effective in changing clients’ food use, compared to paid staff. Results of this case study should encourage nonprofits to experiment with assigning volunteers to operate ITs linked to client services.

Forging links between nutrition and healthcare using community-based partnerships.

This pilot project tested the feasibility of a community-based partnership between community clinics and food pantries as an approach to combat diet-related illnesses and engage low-income individuals in healthcare. Many communities possess both kinds of agencies, which serve similar clienteles and are geographically near each other, but these types of agencies rarely have partnered. The “LINKS” program built partnerships between clinics and food pantries at 2 sites. For more than 6 months, the clinics conducted health screenings and provided referrals during scheduled pantry food distributions. Results indicate that clinics can effectively partner with food pantries, an overlooked resource for health promotion.

Resolving design issues in developing a nutrition app: A case study using formative research

Mobile phone apps have become ubiquitous in health, but they often fail to demonstrate effectiveness in achieving behavior outcomes among intended users. A failure to conduct formative research on app content or functions may contribute to some of this shortfall. We describe simple research procedures we followed when building a nutrition app for low-income household cooks. Our studies improved the placement and design of key screen controls, helped select and guide an illustrator who created graphic support for textual content, and tested whether adding secondary users to the primary audience would attract additional app use. Whether because of these preliminary tests, or for other reasons, our app has generated heavy use by its intended market and has demonstrated desired effects on client behavior. We offer our experiences in formative evaluation as potential tools for other app developers to adapt to their circumstances.

The Keynesian Revolution in the Making, 1924-1936.

This book tells the story of the argument over the performance of the British economy in the period of depression between the two World Wars. Keyness ideas were central to the debate. Peter Clarke explains his theories and their impact. He follows the course of the argument in which Keynes was engaged - into the province of government, the arena of politics, and the discipline of economics - over a period of a dozen years. This is a scholarly and penetrating study of one of the major thinkers of the twentieth century.