Evaluating Today’s Complex Public Health Initiatives

ID 256 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Evaluation is one of the 10 essential public health functions, one of the seven core competencies of health education, and is critical to effective practice. This course uses the CDC Evaluation Framework, a specific public health evaluation framework, to explore several dimensions of evaluation. Topics will introduce students to general purposes and uses of program evaluation; the theory of program and policy evaluation and the methods and techniques used in the broad field of public health; ways program logic models are used to illustrate a program’s “road map,” goals, and objectives; ways to interpret and disseminate evaluation findings; and criteria and standards for assuring a program evaluation is sound and accountable. Students will develop comprehensive understanding of the phases of program evaluation, with an emphasis on community-based programs, comprehensive initiatives, and systems approaches. The course is designed to guide students in thinking critically about how health initiatives work, and, how evaluators can make them work better using various approaches. To achieve this goal, I will expose students to readings and resources, discussions about terminology and concepts, and provide feedback on assignments and opportunities for hands-on practice.