141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

280664
Developing evaluation capacity: Lessons from the tuberculosis program evaluation network

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

Brandy L. Peterson, MPH, MCHES , Division of Tuberculosis Elimination/Field Services and Evaluation Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Awal Khan, PhD , Division of Tuberculosis Elimination/Field Services and Evaluation Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
As program evaluation becomes an expected activity for programs receiving Federal funds, the need to build evaluation capacity increases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) manages cooperative agreements with 68 tuberculosis (TB) control programs stipulating program evaluation as a core activity. Each TB program has designated evaluation focal points (EFPs) who serve as the point of contact for evaluation activities and as advocates and implementers of these activities in their respective jurisdictions. The EFPs role is to build state and local program evaluation capacity among TB program staff. In conjunction with the EFPs, the tuberculosis program evaluation network (TB PEN) supports a national effort to build capacity within the TB programs to conduct program evaluation. As a peer-to-peer network, TB PEN develops and strengthens the capacity of state and local TB programs to monitor and evaluate their programs and use the findings to enhance the effectiveness of prevention and control activities. This presentation will describe the approach to building evaluation capacity through a national network and the lessons learned from the inception of TB PEN in 2010 among federal and state program staff. TB PEN provides multiple opportunities to increase EFPs evaluation subject-matter knowledge; allows EFPs to share their specific evaluation experiences; assesses evaluation competency and training needs; and provides a repository of evaluation knowledge. As of 2012, 100% of TB programs have a designated EFP and TB PEN has held over 20 open forums and multiple series of evaluation training and skill building sessions that have fostered sharing of evaluation experiences among state and local health departments. TB PEN encourages a culture of shared learning and provides local TB staff with evaluation technical skills, ownership, and empowerment that can contribute to the ultimate goal of TB elimination.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Other professions or practice related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe the Tuberculosis Program Evaluation Network (TB PEN). Explain how TB PEN works to build evaluation capacity among state and local health departments.

Keywords: Evaluation, Tuberculosis

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I provide evaluation technical assistance to assist federally funded tuberculosis (TB) programs in identifying focus areas for program evaluation, developing program evaluation plans, and implementing evaluations. I am primarily responsible for coordinating the TB program evaluation network and its efforts in building evaluation capacity. I monitor data related to the national TB program objectives submitted by program areas at the state and local levels.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.