Data Tracking, Reporting & Program Evaluation Flashcards

Which data source is most commonly used to establish a community's baseline waste generation for recycling rate calculations in the US?

Answer: Municipal solid waste tonnage reports from licensed haulers and transfer stations, supplemented by periodic waste characterization studies

Local hauler tonnage reports and transfer station records provide the most accurate community-specific waste generation data, supplemented by waste sorts to understand material composition.

What is 'program evaluation' in the context of recycling, and how does it differ from 'program monitoring'?

Answer: Monitoring tracks ongoing operational metrics (tons, costs, set-out rates); evaluation assesses whether the program achieved its intended goals and outcomes over a defined period

Monitoring is continuous operational tracking, while evaluation is a periodic, structured assessment of whether the program met its stated objectives — answering 'did it work?' not just 'what happened?'

A recycling coordinator wants to measure whether a new outreach campaign reduced contamination. Which research design best establishes causality?

Answer: Pre/post comparison with a control group (similar neighborhoods that didn't receive the campaign)

A pre/post design with a control group isolates the campaign's effect by controlling for external factors — any difference between the treatment and control groups after the campaign can be attributed to the intervention.

What is the primary purpose of tracking 'end-market rejection rates' as a recycling program metric?

Answer: To measure the quality of sorted commodities leaving the MRF and identify whether contamination or processing issues are causing buyers to reject or down-grade loads

End-market rejection rates signal whether the program's commodity quality meets buyer standards — high rejection rates point back to contamination problems in collection or sorting that need correction.

Which tool does the EPA provide to help local governments calculate the jobs, wages, and tax revenue generated by recycling and composting activities?

Answer: Recycling Economic Information (REI) study and REMI economic modeling tools

EPA's Recycling Economic Information (REI) studies quantify the economic activity — jobs, wages, tax revenues — generated by recycling industries, giving programs data to make the economic case for recycling investment.

A CRP is preparing a five-year strategic plan for a county recycling program. What is the most important first step in the planning process?

Answer: Conducting a baseline assessment of current program performance, waste generation data, infrastructure capacity, and stakeholder needs

A baseline assessment establishes where the program is today — performance, infrastructure, gaps, and stakeholder priorities — which is the essential foundation for setting realistic, evidence-based goals and strategies.