A monitoring and evaluation system in support of the together on diabetes™ effort to improve health outcomes for heavily affected populations in the US

Issue: The diabetes epidemic affects 26 million Americans. To improve health outcomes associated with diabetes requires development of innovative approaches, reaching vulnerable groups, and improving population-level outcomes. Description: Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's Together on Diabetes project supports diabetes self-management, improved access to services and quality of care, community-based supportive services and community mobilization. Monitoring and evaluation of the program sets the occasion for co-learning, accountability, and continuous improvement with the initiative and the grantees. Specific purposes of the evaluation include to: a) understand what is being accomplished, b) improve performance, and c) assess the impacts of the initiative. This requires engaging grantees in development of a logic model and key evaluation questions, systematically documenting the program and the impact of prevention efforts, and utilizing data for program improvement and policy decision making. The initiative: 1. developed an evaluation plan and online documentation support system; 2) fully implemented participatory evaluation with grantees; and 4) conducted systematic reflection with foundation staff and summative evaluation for the overall initiative. Lessons Learned: The monitoring and evaluation system's critical features were a collaboratively built logic model and subsequent evaluation questions, easy and ready access to results; and procedures for using the results for celebration and improvement. Recommendations: Innovation, reach and impact in improving diabetes health outcomes that Together on Diabetes seeks drives the need for participatory evaluation methods, a monitoring and documentations system, mechanisms for rapid cycle quality feedback loops and enhanced sensemaking. This will lead to more effective interventions that reduce inequity and increase impact.