Physical Inactivity Educational Program

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Slide 1:

This video will introduce you to Program Evaluation. This is part 1 of 2 parts.

Slide 2:

This is the last step in conducting successful programs.

Slide 3:

Let's start with what evaluation is. Scriven defined evaluation as judging the worth or merit of

something.

And Fitzpatrick and others defined evaluation as the identification, clarification, and application of

criteria to determine the value of something.

In other words, evaluation is a systematic method of collecting, analyzing, and using data to examine the

effectiveness and efficiency of programs and, as importantly, to contribute to continuous program

improvement.

Slide 4:

Now, let's revisit PRECEDE-PROCEED. Evaluation is built into this model.

Let's think about evaluation as a comparison of an object of interest against a standard of acceptability.

In PRECEDE-PROCEED, the object of interest might be measures of quality of life from phase 1,

epidemiological indicators from phase 2, or the predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling factors from

phase 3.

The standard of acceptability might be how much or when.

Slide 5:

These are some questions you have to think about during an evaluation.

What is the worth of something?

Did the program accomplish what it planned to?

How can the program be improved?

How well did we do?

How much did we do?

Slide 6:

Let's now compare Evaluation and Research.

The purpose of evaluation is to make judgments while the purpose of research is to advance knowledge

and theory.

So who controls the agenda?

In evaluation, there are multiple sources control of the agenda such as program staff, funders, and

stakeholders, while in research the investigator controls the agenda.

The criteria for evaluation are accuracy, utility, feasibility, and propriety while the criteria for research is

internal and external validity.

Finally, generalizability of evaluation is limited to the program and generalizability is essential in

research.

Slide 7:

The process or steps in evaluation and research has some similarities.

In evaluation, you want to describe the program, set the evaluation criteria determine the scope and

valuation methods, then gather data, do analyses and make conclusions.

Slide 8:

M.Q. Patton said research seeks to prove and evaluation seeks to improve.

Slide 9:

Program evaluation lets you know whether or not the time and effort you are putting into your

programs is worth it.

Program evaluation can improve program design and implementation.

It is important to periodically assess and adapt your activities to ensure they are as effective as they can

be.

Evaluation can help you identify areas for improvement and ultimately help you realize your goals and

objectives more efficiently.

And program evaluation can demonstrate program impact.

Slide 10:

Among the many reasons to evaluate, there are 4 basic reasons: to gain insight -- we evaluate a program

to judge its merit or gain insight about the program and its operations.

This might include providing information concerning the practicality of a new approach or developing a

program; and to find out where the program is or where it is heading.

Evaluation helps us assess where we are in program development and helps us identify information we

need to plan for our next steps.

It provides us with information for better decision making, and allows us to manage resources and

services more effectively.

We also evaluate program for the purpose of making improvement or changing practices.

We can use evaluation to improve or enhance what we do. Evaluation provides us with a means to

understand why we achieved our successes, or why we did not meet our objectives.

It provides us with information we need to strategize, plan, and implement initiatives that enhance the

effectiveness of our programs.

We also evaluate programs to assess their effects through how well objectives and goals are being met.

Evaluation documents what we do and systematically shows the contributions to our accomplishing our

goals.

This information can help decision makers at all levels understand the benefits and consequences of

what they are doing.

Lastly, we use program evaluation as a method for building program capacity.

The process is effective for programs to make self-directed changes, such as to increase funding,

develop skills, build infrastructure, and/or strengthen accountability.

Evaluation also builds on itself as we learn and gain experiences in conducting evaluations, we also build

evaluation capacity for our program and increase program capacity for self-directed improvements.

Finally, evaluation can strengthen accountability by allowing us to demonstrate that we are responsible

stewards of the program's funding and resources.

Slide 11:

While those are all great reasons to evaluate programs, we also evaluate programs because we are

required to do so.

Program evaluation also allows us to make better decisions, learn from our experience, justify why we

are conducting programs and to stop or end programs that are not working.

Slide 12:

When we evaluate educational and social programs, we want to try to answer these questions:

Is the intervention reaching the appropriate audience?

Is it being implemented in the way specified?

Is it effective?

How much does it cost?

What are the costs relative to effectiveness?

Slide 13:

More questions to seek to answer are: Should this program continue in its present form?

How can methods and practices be improved?

Can this program work in other places?

Do results support or refute the theory underlying program efforts?

More on Program Evaluation in Part 2.