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Eileen M. Eisen-Cohen, MSW, ABD, Division of Chronic Disease and Tobacco Control, Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program, 3838 North Central Avenue, Ste. 1600, Phoenix, AZ 85012, 602-372-8424, eileeneisen-cohen@mail.maricopa.gov
Program evaluation with local tobacco control programs is a necessary function towards achieving programmatic goals. In many programs, however, evaluation is an after-thought to program planning and implementation, particularly when evaluation is not the highest priority. Moreover, tobacco control staff may not have the requisite skills, resources, familiarity, and desire to conduct evaluation. Over the past year, Maricopa County Tobacco Use Prevention Program (MACTUPP) has worked with staff to plan and implement an internal evaluation of the prevention, cessation, worksite wellness, and community health promotion teams. This paper examines MACTUPP’s evaluation capacity building strategies and subsequent lessons learned from these efforts. Capacity building for program evaluation involves processes, strategies and provision of resources that enhance the knowledge, skills, problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Program managers and staff have been provided with a series of trainings and ongoing technical assistance on writing measurable objectives and related outcomes, how to collect and analyze data and how to use evaluation results. Lessons learned from these efforts will be discussed with the challenges and opportunities to improve evaluation outcomes. This program is funded by Arizona Department of Health Services.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to
Keywords: Evaluation, Tobacco
Related Web page: www.mactupp.org
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.