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Phase 5: Evaluation
Audio File (6 minutes)
Listen to Mr. Yochai Eisenberg from the University of Illinois at Chicago and NCHPAD, talk about the evaluation approach for Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project.
Audio Download.
The fifth phase of the Inclusive Healthy Communities Model is Evaluation, where you will integrate methods to help your community coalition track and measure the project’s outcomes.
During the Evaluation Phase, it is important that you
- Discuss and prioritize evaluation activities with the community coaches and community coalition members from the onset of the project; and
- Plan for evaluation activities to occur at intermittent frequency throughout the project period.
WHY is this phase important?
WHY is this phase important?
Periodically assessing your project activities helps ensure that your community coalition is effectively executing its inclusive policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes. Evaluation can help you identify areas for improvement and track progress towards the realization of your goals. Evaluation helps to determine if your work is on track (i.e., are you implementing the right strategies, are you achieving the measurable impact envisioned).
Periodically assessing your project activities helps ensure that your community coalition is effectively executing its inclusive policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes. Evaluation can help you identify areas for improvement and track progress towards the realization of your goals. Evaluation helps to determine if your work is on track (i.e., are you implementing the right strategies, are you achieving the measurable impact envisioned).
WHAT activities take place during this phase?
WHAT activities take place during this phase?
- It is beneficial to establish a schedule early in your project for evaluation, so that you can plan how often activities will occur. This enables you to obtain baseline data and see your project’s progress over time. There are several national surveys and resources that collect and provide data on people with disabilities to help you understand the health needs of this population in your community (e.g., Disability and Health Data System, U.S Census Bureau).
Audio File (3 minutes)
Listen to Mr. Yochai Eisenberg, evaluation expert at NCHPAD, talk about the RE-AIM framework used for the evaluation of Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project.
Evaluation activities will initially focus on the process measures related to community coalition development and maintenance, community health assessment, and community action plan development.
- As you begin implementation, you can then capture outcome measures from your policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to help build an inclusive healthy community for all residents.
- Review the data that you capture for each evaluation activity with your community coalition, adjusting activities as needed. By integrating evaluation throughout the project period, you will be able to adjust your course of action and make improvements at any point.
- It is beneficial to establish a schedule early in your project for evaluation, so that you can plan how often activities will occur. This enables you to obtain baseline data and see your project’s progress over time. There are several national surveys and resources that collect and provide data on people with disabilities to help you understand the health needs of this population in your community (e.g., Disability and Health Data System, U.S Census Bureau).
Audio File (3 minutes)
Listen to Mr. Yochai Eisenberg, evaluation expert at NCHPAD, talk about the RE-AIM framework used for the evaluation of Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project.
Evaluation activities will initially focus on the process measures related to community coalition development and maintenance, community health assessment, and community action plan development.
- As you begin implementation, you can then capture outcome measures from your policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes to help build an inclusive healthy community for all residents.
- Review the data that you capture for each evaluation activity with your community coalition, adjusting activities as needed. By integrating evaluation throughout the project period, you will be able to adjust your course of action and make improvements at any point.
WHO in the community needs to be involved?
WHO in the community needs to be involved?
Audio File (5 minutes)
Listen to New York State Expert Advisor, Ms. Rhonda Rosenburg, talk about the evaluation activities that took place in Cattaraugus County and Syracuse, NY, for the Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project. And some evaluation tips from Mr. Yochai Eisenberg.
Audio Download.
If resources allow, you may hire an evaluator or access evaluation expertise through a state university (e.g., University Centers for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities) or one of your community coalition members. If not, the community coaches often oversee the project evaluation activities. It is important that the whole community coalition understands the evaluation activities that you plan to undertake and are always involved in reviewing the results and adjusting the project, as warranted by the data.
Audio File (5 minutes)
Listen to New York State Expert Advisor, Ms. Rhonda Rosenburg, talk about the evaluation activities that took place in Cattaraugus County and Syracuse, NY, for the Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project. And some evaluation tips from Mr. Yochai Eisenberg.
Audio Download.
If resources allow, you may hire an evaluator or access evaluation expertise through a state university (e.g., University Centers for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities) or one of your community coalition members. If not, the community coaches often oversee the project evaluation activities. It is important that the whole community coalition understands the evaluation activities that you plan to undertake and are always involved in reviewing the results and adjusting the project, as warranted by the data.
How much TIME does this phase take?
How much TIME does this phase take?
Planning your evaluation activities will occur early, as well as be performed throughout the project period as each phase is being completed.
Planning your evaluation activities will occur early, as well as be performed throughout the project period as each phase is being completed.
What does SUCCESS look like?
What does SUCCESS look like?
See the policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes tracking chart developed by NACDD to track PSE changes for the Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project.
Successful evaluation will include the following characteristics:
- A set of methods and schedule for tracking and documenting your project phases and outcomes over time;
- An evaluation expert to review your evaluation plan;
- Feedback loops designed to frequently share the evaluation results with your community coalition; and
- A process for adjusting the community action plan based on evaluation results.
See the policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes tracking chart developed by NACDD to track PSE changes for the Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities project.
Successful evaluation will include the following characteristics:
- A set of methods and schedule for tracking and documenting your project phases and outcomes over time;
- An evaluation expert to review your evaluation plan;
- Feedback loops designed to frequently share the evaluation results with your community coalition; and
- A process for adjusting the community action plan based on evaluation results.
Additional Resources
CDC Program Performance and Evaluation Office (PPEO) website
Developing an Effective Evaluation Plan: Setting the Course for Effective Program Evaluation
Helps public health program managers, administrators, and evaluators develop a joint understanding of what constitutes an evaluation plan, why it is important, and how to develop an effective evaluation plan in the context of the planning process.
Evaluating Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Change Interventions: Lessons Learned from CDC’s Prevention Research Centers
In this study, researchers describe evaluations of PSE change programs in which the evaluators followed the steps outlined in CDC’s Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health, shared lessons learned, and assisted future evaluators of PSE change programs with their evaluation design decisions.
