The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #38724

Joan E. Haley, MEd¹, Christine L. Pistella, PHD, MPH, LSW², Gail S. Cairns, MPH¹, and Molly M. Eggleston, MPH³. (1) Pennsylvania & Ohio Public Health Training Center, University of Pittsburgh, 3347 Forbes Avenue, Suite 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, 412-383-2231, jeh96@pitt.edu, (2) Health Services Administration, University of Pittsburgh, 130 DeSoto Street, 216 Parran Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, (3) Center for Public Health Practice, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 3347 Forbes Avenue, Suite 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Two step evaluation of public health workforce training

The Pennsylvania and Ohio Public Health Training Center (POPHTC), headquartered at the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, is one of 14 HRSA-funded centers nationwide charged with training the public health workforce. In May-June 2001, POPHTC provided 30 hours of training to 77 staff members of the Allegheny(PA) County Health Department, including field workers, supervisors and managers. Training content included community health assessment, program evaluation, cultural competency and communication skills. Evaluation instruments used during training (Step 1) included demographic data collection, pre/post inventories and learner satisfaction surveys. Followup evaluation (Step2) was conducted nine months after the training in an attempt to determine if skills learned during the training were being applied, and if so, if these skills were contributing to organizational development. Methods used included demographic data and modified learner satisfaction surveys. Small group discusiions were also used. Results of the followup evaluation were compared with results at the end of training and suggestions made for improving evaluation techniques in order to elicit better information about the long term effects of training.

Learning Objectives: Participants in this session will be able to

• Apply a followup evaluation design to their own training intervention.
• Recognize the importance of using both quantitative and qualitative data collection in an evaluation.
• Discuss the variables that may influence the implementation of skills learned in training.

Keywords: Evaluation, Workforce

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.