Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
	Policy Information Center

Figure 1

Range of PHS Evaluation Activities

A. Evaluation projects

1. Outcome evaluations: assessing the immediate or intermediate effects of a program with respect to the stated goals or objectives.

2. Impact evaluations: assessing the broader results, intended or unintended, of a program on populations or institutions involved.

3. Implementation or process evaluations: assessing the nature of program inputs and outputs and their relationship to stated goals and objectives.

4. Policy assessments: examining health policies with respect to their development, implementation, or impact on public health or program activity.

5. Cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analyses: developing methodology and its application to assess the relationship of program results to program costs (direct and indirect), often in comparison with alternative programs.

6. Survey data analyses: evaluating the results of PHS programs or policies by conducting or analyzing data obtained from surveys.

7. Management studies: examining the effectiveness or efficiency of the administration or operation of PHS programs and Offices.

8. Evaluation syntheses: integrating the results from multiple independent evaluation studies within a defined program or policy area in a fashion that improves the accessibility and application of those results.

B. Methodology projects

1. Evaluation feasibility studies: assessing the clarity and importance of program goals and objectives, the consensus of program stakeholders on the potential utility of evaluation information, and the availability of relevant performance data before committing to a full-scale program evaluation.

2. Evaluation design projects: procuring assistance in the development of an evaluation design, measurement tools, or analytic models in preparation for fully implementing an evaluation.

3. Instrument development projects: developing evaluation instruments (design, measurement, or analytic) for a specific PHS program or for general use by the public health community.

C. Evaluation support activities

1. Evaluation technical assistance: providing assistance to PHS program managers or Office directors on any aspect of evaluation planning; project design, implementation, or analysis; or use of results.

2. Evaluation dissemination: identifying target audiences and mechanisms to inform program constituencies and evaluation stakeholders about evaluation results.

3. Evaluation training/conferences: maintaining the professional skills and expertise of evaluation staff through training and promoting the dissemination of PHS evaluations through conference symposiums.

Figure 2

Summary of the Potential Adverse Health Effects of Certain Childhood Vaccines [a]

Evidence establishes a causal relationship between--

• Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction)

• Hepatitis B vaccine and anaphylaxis

• Measles vaccine and death from infection by the measles virus in the vaccine

• Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and thrombocytopenia (a blood disorder) and anaphylaxis

• Oral polio vaccine and polio; oral polio vaccine and death from infection by the polio virus in the vaccine

Evidence favors a causal relationship between--

• Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and various neurologic conditions, including Guillain-Barré syndrome

• Measles vaccine and anaphylaxis

• Oral polio vaccine and Guillain-Barré syndrome

• Unconjugated polysaccharide polyribosylribitol phosphate (PRP) Hib vaccine [b] and early-onset Hib disease in children 18 months or older

Evidence fails to support a causal relationship between--

• Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and encephalopathy (abnormal brain development), infantile spasms, and death from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

• Conjugate Hib vaccines and early-onset Hib disease

a. Based on evidence from 49 suspected cases.
b. Hib, Haemophilus influenzae type b.