Understanding diffuse program implementation through a unified performance monitoring system

Introduction: Assessing the effectiveness of locally based public health initiatives that use evidence based strategies for the implementation of health promotion and disease prevention interventions requires a system for monitoring progress. The Illinois Department of Public Health's ‘We Choose Health' (WCH) initiative, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Community Transformation Grant has contracted with the University of Illinois - Chicago (UIC) to develop and manage a performance monitoring system to track progress among its twenty-one community grantees. Methods: The performance monitoring methodology was influenced by many factors: Low cost, short development period, ability to capture accurate information, and limited interaction with grantees. The system was created to strike a balance between the needs of grantees and the state health department. Communities document their progress towards major milestones on a quarterly basis utilizing the performance monitoring system. Results: The WCH performance monitoring system allows project staff to identify technical assistance that would benefit grantees, identify ‘red flags' related to insufficient progress among grantees, and identify common themes across grantees. Furthermore, a detailed description of the population being reached at the grantee level can be reported. Over 76% of counties have reported significant progress towards community-wide changes that has positively affected the health of 752,086 residents in Illinois. Discussion: Performance monitoring is a process that can facilitate and standardize the collection of process evaluation information across numerous topical areas within a state based initiative as well as across communities throughout the country.