Developing an Evaluation Plan

Developing an Evaluation Plan
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Developing an Evaluation Plan
Introduction
Patton (2007) defines evaluation as the methodical grouping of information about characteristics, activities, and outcomes of programs, services, policy, or processes. Critical to the discussion is the fact that is used to judge programs, improve effectiveness, or appraise decisions on future development of the program. Evidently, program evaluation is important to different professions because it helps in identifying the value of a program or project. This owes to the reality that evaluation enables professionals to make decisions based on factual evidence. It follows that program evaluation could be used to tackle Kwashiorkor, which is the severe lack of protein in infants and children. The condition is present in developing and third world countries that are characterized by political instability, lack of a balanced diet, extreme poverty famine, and drought. Consequently, this paper evaluates the disease in question and proposes improved nutrition as a solution to the menace in question.
Methods for Evaluating Kwashiorkor
Patton (2007) reveals that program evaluation could be achieved using different methods. The argument applies to the problem of Kwashiorkor because methods such as anthropometric methods, supervision of pediatric clinics, and dietary assessment could be used when evaluating kwashiorkor. To begin with, anthropometric method is important in the evaluation of kwashiorkor because it defines the level of nutrition in children. It involves the measurement of body weight, height in proportions. This method can be used on children and adults. It evaluates if the person or child is under or over nutrition. Specific to the problem under discussion is the fact that a child is undernourished when he or she is less than 5 percentile and overweight if he or she has 95 percentile and above (Berg, 2013). In short, the anthropometric method could be useful in evaluating Kwashiorkor because the method defines the level of nutrition of a particular child.
Supervising pediatric clinics can also help professionals in the healthcare industry to deal with kwashiorkor. This owes to the reality that it could help professionals identify cases of malnutrition among children. It follows that pediatric clinics should maintain a record of the infants, children and pregnant women’s anthropometry measures taken (Berg, 2013). It is because a comparison on the child or infant’s progress can help establish the effectiveness of the improved nutrition strategy and the accessibility of the resources in various part of a developing country. Another method that could be used in the evaluation of Kwashiorkor is the dietary assessment method. Diet Assessment method can help in establishing if the improved nutrition solution is effective in four ways. First, a record of the food consumed by a person in the last 24 hours can be done. Taking note of the 24-hour diet recall helps one establish the change in a person’s nutrients consumption before and after the effectiveness of the improved nutrition solution.
Variables to be Assessed when Evaluating Project Outcomes
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