Evaluation of health promotion and health care delivery services and outcomes is essential in today's health policy environment. Evaluation can be perceived as threatening, costly and annoying by managers and staff or as a necessary, useful tool for improving programs and services. How evaluation is incorporated into the organization will influence their understanding and use of evaluation logic and methods. Thus, administrators are wise to develop organizational systems and cultures that promote evaluation. The Family Health Outcomes Project, University of California, San Francisco, is assisting government and nonprofit health agencies and hospitals to build and institutionalize an evaluation approach that integrates into the everyday ethos and operations of the agency. This presentation will:
1. briefly describe three state/local programs' approaches to building an evaluation infrastructure and culture and the key elements of these approaches. The infrastructure elements discussed include the evaluation framework, capacity building through staff development, resources and management philosophy
2. present a planning and evaluation "logic model" which has successfully been used as a basic tool in building the evaluation-oriented organizational culture. The logic model is a method of organizing and communicating how program resources, activities and expected outcomes are related to each other and is used to assess and identify evaluation points and methods. The understanding and use of this tool is integral to management and staff development
3. provide insights and recommendations regarding the development of the evaluation infrastructure and the tailoring of the approach to organizational and staff resources
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. Recognize the value / usefulness of developing an organizational planning and evaluation infrastructure to improve performance and services 2. Articulate the key elements of an evaluation infrastructure/ culture 3. Describe a planning and evaluation logic model and how it can be used to promote an organizational approach/culture of evaluation and program improvement 4. Assess how your organization or agency can apply the recommended approaches and principles presented to build or strengthen its evaluation and program improvement capacity
Keywords: Evaluation, Organizational Change
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Family Health Outcomes Project, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment