Explain which comparison group design(s) would be useful for a further evaluation of Emergency Preparedness at UTRGV

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Comparison Group Designs
Disaster preparedness is a crucial factor at the University of Texas Grand Rio Valley. The institution has come up with an office for emergency preparedness. The office comes up with different programs geared towards ensuring stakeholders such as students and faculty members are protected from any unforeseeable occurrences. The department has issued a number of alerts including a warning about a possible hurricane.
Comparison group designs are used in assessing the impact of various policies on the desired outcomes. UTGRV has to employ such group designs so as to understand the effects of their emergency policies on the stakeholders. The comparison group designs are also meant to offer a quantitative estimate regarding the causal effects of a particular program (Wholey et al. 135). The best model for the institution would be the interrupted time series design. The design is employed in situations where new programs are brought into play or where significant reforms have occurred. The design is efficient in cases where data is available before and after the change. The organization has been exposed to hurricanes in the past, and the data can also be collected after the current hurricane season. An elaborate time-series design focuses on the post-program and the pre-program evaluation.
Comparison group designs would offer an understanding of the outcomes in situations where a complete program evaluation was conducted. The designs would help one focus on the treated and untreated groups and how the interaction between the two would affect the desired outcomes (Wholey et al.

136). The designs would also help the stakeholders come up with corrective actions geared towards improving the programs in the long run. The data obtained before the program is implemented can be used to come up with the best interventions and to ensure continued success.
Work Cited
Wholey, Joseph S et al. Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation. Jossey-Bass, 2010.