Case Studies
Strategic Planning Process to Address Tobacco-Related Disparities in Arkansas
Overview
|
Healthy People 2010
Objectives |
Increase the number of
tribes, territories, states,
and District of Columbia
with comprehensive,
evidence-based tobacco
control programs. |
|
OSH Indicator |
Strategic plan to address
tobacco-related disparities. |
|
City/County/Other |
|
| State |
Arkansas |
|
Goals |
Identifying and Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disparities |
|
Components |
N/A |
|
Areas of Policy
and/or Program
Intervention
|
Identifying and Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disparities |
|
Audience/Population |
American Indians/Alaska Natives
Black
General Public
Hispanics/Latinos
Rural
Urban
Young Adults (18–24)
Youth
Other: Pregnant Women |
Policy/Program
Objectives
of the
Intervention
Arkansas'
objective
was to
form a
workgroup
to
advise
the
Arkansas
Department
of
Health
to
eliminate
tobacco
related
disparities
and
oversee
the
development
of a
strategic
plan
that the
Department
would
implement.
Description
of the
Intervention
The
Arkansas
Department
of
Health
convened
a
diverse
workgroup
to
engage
in a
strategic
planning
process.
The
workgroup
met nine
times
between
March
and
December
2002 to
review
available
data,
identify
populations
with
potential
disparities
and
develop
goals to
reduce
and
eliminate
tobacco-related
disparities
in
Arkansas.
Personnel/Key
Players/Resources
Required for
Conducting
the
Intervention
Team Leader:
Responsible
for
supervising
the overall
implementation
of the
strategic
planning
process.
Co-leader of
the Tobacco
Prevention
and
Education
Program of
the Arkansas
Department
of Health.
Project Coordinator: Responsible for coordinating the project. Federal
Program
Support
Manager of
the Tobacco
Prevention
and
Education
Program of
the Arkansas
Department
of Health.
Assistant Project Coordinator: Responsible for managing the day-to-day
operations
of the
Tobacco
Disparities
Workgroup
project.
Eliminating
Disparities
Health
Program
Analyst for
the Tobacco
Prevention
and
Education
Program of
the Arkansas
Department
of Health.
Facilitator (Contractor): Responsible for guiding and facilitating the group
process.
Consultant
with 20
years
experience
in substance
abuse
prevention.
Evaluator (Contractor): Responsible for developing and implementing the
formative
and
summative
evaluation
components
of the
strategic
planning
process.
Assistant
Professor of
Higher
Education at
the
University
of Arkansas.
Epidemiologist: Responsible for providing a variety of data among
populations
disparately
affected by
tobacco at
the request
of the
workgroup.
Epidemiologist
with the
Tobacco
Prevention
and
Education
Program of
the Arkansas
Department
of Health.
Place Where
the
Intervention
was
Conducted
The
workgroup
met in
Little Rock
and most
members of
the
workgroup
represented
organizations
that were
based in
Little Rock,
but each had
statewide
outreach
services.
The
strategic
plan was
developed
for the
entire state
of Arkansas.
Approximate
Time Frame
for
Conducting
the
Intervention
The
intervention—convening
a diverse
workgroup
that
developed a
strategic
plan to
build
capacity to
eliminate
tobacco-related
disparities—began
in January
2002 and
ended in
December
2002
comprising
one year.
Summary of
Implementation
of the
Intervention
The
intervention—the
strategic
planning
process—was
conducted by
a team of
Department
of Health
employees, a
facilitator
and an
evaluator. A
diverse
workgroup of
nine members
representing
various
populations
in Arkansas
met together
nine times
over a
10-month
period to
review
available
data
regarding
special
populations
in Arkansas
and develop
a strategic
plan to
reduce those
disparities.
In December
2002, the
workgroup
published
the
strategic
plan,
Tobacco Use
among
Special
Populations:
Putting the
Pieces
Together to
Identify and
Eliminate
Disparities.
The
strategic
plan
identified
seven goals
and
strategies
for
achieving
each.
Summary of
Evaluation/Outcome
of
Intervention
The primary
purpose of
the
evaluation
was to
describe the
formation
and
development
of the
Arkansas
Tobacco
Disparities
workgroup
and the
process by
which the
strategic
plan was
developed.
The
evaluation
described
the
workgroup’s
main
activities,
efforts
involved,
and key
players.
Milestones
reached
through the
workgroup’s
efforts were
documented
and critical
lessons
learned
during the
process were
communicated
in the final
case study.
The following were successfully completed:
- Convening and organizing the workgroup
- Identifying and taking stock of the populations disparately affected by
tobacco in Arkansas
- Developing the strategic plan
- Adopting and refining the strategic plan
- Developing a plan of action for implementation of the strategic plan and
translating it into action items.
Intervention's
Applicability/Replicability/Recommendations
for
Other
Sites
Arkansas
process of
developing
the
strategic
plan for
identifying
and
eliminating
tobacco-related
disparities
is
especially
applicable
to states
that
experience
similar
challenges:
- Disproportionately high rate of poverty
- Large segment of the population that has achieved only a moderate to low
educational level
- Many rural communities that are difficult to reach
- Lack of community-based infrastructure.
Overview
Notes
This case
study was
written by
Colleta
Reid, an
Office on
Smoking and
Health
Consultant,
February
2004.
Page last modified 07/25/2007
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