The California Department of Health Services (CDHS) Tobacco Control Section (TCS) uses Proposition 99, California tobacco tax initiative of 1988, to fund local programs carried out by 61 county health departments, ethnic and regional projects, and hundreds of community grantees. In 1995, TCS launched a campaign to increase locally funded programs’ ability to conduct meaningful program evaluation. The campaign, designed by a Local Programs Evaluation Work Group of 21 evaluators, project directors and TCS staff, required that local grantees: (1) reserve at least 10 percent of their budget for outcome-based evaluation of their tobacco control activities; (2) hire an outside evaluation consultant in addition to using in-house staff to oversee evaluation; (3) submit an Evaluation Summary Worksheet (i.e., evaluation design, measures, sampling and statistical analysis methods, etc.) to TCS for each objective, and (4) submit a final evaluation report, following TCS Guidelines. This study describes California’s local program evaluation structure and policies, evaluation challenges (initial resistance and limited local evaluation resources and expertise), and the use of evaluation results for program modification, selection of future objectives, training and planning. Elements to be discussed include how to: (1) recruit local evaluators; (2) train local tobacco control staff; (3) develop guidelines for preparing evaluation reports; (4) standardize intervention categories and evaluation-related terminology; (5) motivate local staff to submit abstracts and papers for publication and oral presentation; (6) establish training, technical assistance and networking opportunities for free-lance and university-associated evaluators; and (7) build strategies that influence norm change and result in tobacco-free communities.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, participants will be able to: (1) Recognize effective local program evaluation components (a budget allocating evaluation funds, guidelines, standards, etc.); (2) Assess the capacity of their own organizations to conduct meaningful program evaluation; and (3) Recognize activities that empower program evaluation (e.g., training and technical assistance for project directors and evaluators.)
Keywords: Tobacco Control,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.