Program Evaluation

This track is FULL! Please apply for the Policy track!

Trainers

   
Mr. Thomas Chapel, MA, MBA
Chief Evaluation Officer
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention     
Ms. Sarah Gill
Evaluation Technical Advisor
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Description
This track is for participants interested in evaluating a program within their organization for the purpose of revising the program to achieve more desirable results or to distinguish their program as worthwhile for policymakers or funding organizations. This track will describe the CDC Evaluation Framework steps and standards and will walk participants through the evaluation process. Participants will learn how social research methods are used to systematically investigate the effectiveness of a program. In addition, participants will learn how to create and use simple logic models in evaluation and how to formulate appropriate evaluation questions. Common evaluation questions are: Is a particular intervention reaching its target population? Is the intervention being implemented well? Is the intervention effective in attaining the desired goals or benefits? Participants will also learn how to make informed decisions about design and data collection. Proving a program or intervention is effective, is one of the first steps to creating an evidence-based program. Participants will be led through the process of determining 1) the need for the program 2) the program’s design 3) its implementation and service delivery 4) its impact, or outcomes and 5) its efficacy. This track will incorporate multiple learning styles including activities such as case studies, small group exercises, PowerPoint slides, and written materials and handouts. The trainer will facilitate the learning activities while providing lectures for new concepts and methods.

Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
1) Discuss the CDC Evaluation Framework steps and standards
2) Create/use simple logic model(s) in evaluation
3) Know/make informed decisions about design and data collection
4) Formulate appropriate evaluation questions
5) Identify various measurement strategies for evaluation
6) Describe the differences between process and outcome evaluation and how to apply these concepts to program evaluation
7) List and describe the steps of an evaluation process
8) Outline a basic evaluation plan