Mastering Excellence: National Standards 301 is the third and final course in a three-part series on the RCO National Standards of Excellence. Building on the foundational concepts and alignment strategies explored in the first two courses, this final installment focuses on how recovery community organizations sustain excellence through ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement.

At the core of the RCO model are participation, mutuality, and trust. Just as peer-to-peer relationships are grounded in shared experience and connection, RCOs serve as a home base for recovery within the communities they support. This course reflects those values by introducing participatory evaluation, an approach that actively involves the people most connected to, and affected by, RCO programs and services.

While this course introduces more technical concepts, it does not require formal evaluation expertise. Instead, it emphasizes collaboration, shared learning, and practical reflection. Participants will explore how participatory evaluation aligns with the National Standards and supports meaningful assessment across process, implementation, and outcomes, helping organizations understand how their work is functioning, where adjustments may be needed, and how to strengthen impact over time.

By viewing evaluation as an ongoing process rather than a final judgment, RCOs can use information gathered through participation to improve services, protect the integrity of peer-based work, and remain responsive to the evolving needs of their communities.

Learning Objectives