Implementing a Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative in Your Workplace
- Introduction
- Assessing Need and Interest
- Planning a TFC Initiative
- Promoting the Initiative
- Implementing the Initiative
- Evaluating Success
Evaluating Success
Formal evaluation of a tobacco-free campus initiative is an ongoing activity that is necessary to assess whether the initiative has achieved its objective and what tangible outcomes it has had. The evaluation can also identify ways to improve the initiative. Management input can be as valuable in this phase as it is in your initial assessment and planning phases.
Conducting the Evaluation
Begin planning early to ensure that the data you want will be collected
during all stages of the initiative. Develop a plan for evaluating the
implementation and impact of the policy initiative, including the impact of
the expanded cessation services. Remember to keep it fairly simple to assure
that the evaluation will be conducted.
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Common Evaluation Plan Components • Project name • Sponsoring departments • Contact person • Problem statement • Project goals and objectives for each component of the initiative • Evaluation design • Evaluation logic model • Timeline and budget for evaluation |
Below are some sample questions that will help you develop your evaluation design:
- What information does management want? How does management define success?
- Are employees aware of the new policy and available tobacco cessation services? Are employees who use these services satisfied with the support received?
- Are employees satisfied with how the policy is being enforced?
- What information is needed to determine whether you have achieved the project goals and objectives?
- How will this information be gathered? Are data collection instruments needed (e.g., employee survey)?
- Who needs to be involved? Who will collect the data? Who will analyze the data? Who will be responsible for tracking and compiling employee questions and comments?
- When should key tasks be completed?
- How long will the information be kept and how will the security of the data be ensured?
- How will evaluation data be reported?
Consider conducting a pre- and post-implementation employee survey to
assess awareness and knowledge of the policy and available tobacco use
cessation services. Before collecting employee input, obtain guidance from
appropriate agency experts to help determine what approvals are needed.
For example, federal agencies are subject to Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) regulations and will experience a long lead time if OMB approval is
needed. Similarly, if your assessment is part of a research project, check
with the appropriate institutional review board (IRB) to determine whether IRB
approval is needed. Each agency or company should work with its own internal
policy
and legal staff to develop appropriate guidelines and procedures for
gathering employee input.
To measure the extent and effectiveness of TFC policy enforcement, track the
number of employees and visitors who are reported using tobacco on campus on
a monthly basis. This can be determined by the number of “health tickets”
distributed each month, if you choose to use that communication strategy.
In addition, consider evaluating quit rates after six months among those who
have received tobacco use cessation services through the employee health
services. For example, track how many employees have
- Called or come in for assistance
- Visited the TFC Web site
- Tried to quit
- Received medications
- Received a second round of medications
- Succeeded in quitting for at least three months
Report evaluation results to the planning team and top management.
Next Steps
After you have completed the initial evaluation of your TFC initiative, consider conducting periodic follow-up assessments to determine whether the initiative is continuing to be implemented as planned and to identify necessary modifications.
Other Helpful Information
- HWI’s Evaluation Information
- Introduction to Program Evaluation for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs
- Key Outcome Indicators for Evaluating Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs
- Office of Management and Budget Regulations
Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.
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Page last updated: May 22, 2007
Content Source: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
