Evaluation Design Plan

Course Project: Program Evaluation
There are two main types of evaluation: process and outcome. Process (formative) evaluation simply refers to the steps taken along the way toward your final outcomes. It determines if you are doing the right things, in the right way, and at the right time. A process evaluation answers the following questions: Are the critical events in place to assure project success? Is the project working as expected? Are you doing what you said you would do? A process evaluation lets you know what key landmarks or steps you must complete along the way. It looks at what you did and how you did it.
Outcome (summative) evaluation determines if your program made a difference in the health of your target population. Did you achieve your goals? Outcome evaluation measures the effectiveness of care that takes places after the intervention has been delivered. It involves (1) measurement of the community (or target population) response to a program; and (2) interpretation of the degree to which planned goals were met. Outcome evaluation focuses on how the people you serve have changed as a result of your project. It looks at what happened because of what you did, in the short-term, intermediate, and long-term. Short-term outcomes might be reflected in changes in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Intermediate outcomes refer to changes in behavior. Finally, long-term outcomes refer to changes in a condition or status.
For this section of the course project, you will develop a plan for the evaluation of your public health program.
To Prepare
• Review this week’s Learning Resources on evaluation
• Review your logic model and implementation plan. Is an evaluation strategy included?
For this Assignment, you will write a 2-3-page evaluation design plan that explains how you will evaluate your program and addresses the following:
• How did you determine data needs?
• How will you collect the data you need?
• What type(s) of evaluation is most appropriate for your program? Explain.
• How can the effectiveness of your program be evaluated?
• Based on the experience at your placement agency, what changes would you make to the program? What is missing? Explain.
Required Readings
Anderson, E. T., & McFarlane, J. (2019). Community as partner: Theory and practice in nursing (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
• Chapter 15, “Evaluating a Community Health Program” (pp. 266-279)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Introduction to program evaluation for public health programs: A self-study guide. Atlanta, GA: Author. Retrieved from https://www(dot)cdc(dot)gov/eval/guide/cdcevalmanual.pdf
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Step 3, “Focus the Evaluation Design” (pp. 42-55)
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Step 4, “Gather Credible Evidence” (pp. 56-73)