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Infrastructure Development ToolsActivity 8: Evaluate Oral Health ProgramsEvaluation looks at what a program is about, including its goals and objectives, and seeks to learn whether these goals and objectives are being met. Effective program evaluation is a systematic way to improve and account for public health actions by using procedures that are useful, feasible, ethical, and accurate. In day-to-day program evaluation, evaluators consult stakeholders; define program goals; state guiding questions; collect, analyze, and interpret data; form judgments; and share lessons. It is important to integrate evaluation from the very beginning of program development instead of waiting until the activity is completed to assess whether the state is meeting its goals and seeks ways to improve the program. An oral health program should seek expert assistance in planning and conducting its evaluation activities. When assembling an evaluation team, it is advisable for organizations, even those that have access to evaluation expertise within their own staff, to collaborate with partners and take advantage of expertise in the community and local universities. A state oral health program also can benefit from using a logic model for developing its evaluation plan. See the Performance-based Oral Health Infrastructure Development Logic Model (PDF– 29K) and Sample Work Plan (PDF–120K). The state oral health program can benefit greatly by seeking opportunities to share the results of program accomplishments, best practices, and lessons learned. This can be accomplished through participating in forums for exchanging ideas and identifying methods and avenues for dissemination through national conferences such as the National Oral Health Conference, as well as local and state-supported forums (e.g., state summits or state dental and dental hygiene association meetings). ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Success Stories Workbook: Impact and Value: Telling Your Program’s Story American Evaluation Association * CDC Framework for Program Evaluation Steps for Developing Logic Models (PDF–1.8Mb) Selected Bibliography on Logic Models (PDF–217K) Sealant Efficiency Assessment for Locals and States (SEALS) W.K. Kellogg Foundation—Evaluation Toolkit, including Handbook and Logic Model Development Guide* Workplans: A Program Management Tool (PDF–737K) One or more documents on this Web page is available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Acrobat Reader to view and print these documents. * Links to non-Federal organizations are
provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an
endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none
should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual
organization Web pages found at this link.
Page last reviewed: October 29, 2008 |
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