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Session Title: Effectively Evaluating Community Impacts of a Statewide Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, Implemented amid Frequent Changes in Funding, Programming, and Staff
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Panel Session 392 to be held in Capitol Ballroom Section 7 on Thursday, Nov 6, 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM
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Sponsored by the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Laura Feldman,
University of Wyoming,
lfeldman@uwyo.edu
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| Abstract:
The Tobacco-Free Wyoming Communities (TFWC) program seeks to prevent and control the use of tobacco in Wyoming communities. While numerous studies show the correlation between state-level tobacco control programs and reduced tobacco use, no published studies use community-level data to show this correlation. In 2006, the Wyoming Department of Health asked the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC) to evaluate the community-level impacts of the TFWC program. What was initially interpreted as a straightforward evaluation of program outcomes turned into a complex evaluation that ultimately guided both state- and community-level decision making. This panel summarizes the challenges inherent in evaluating long-term projects with long-term outcomes, but implemented amid frequent changes in staff, funding, programs, and targeted outcomes. The panel discusses how to overcome these challenges to measure the relationship between program expenditures and program outcomes. The panelists focus on lessons learned, especially in terms of techniques for evaluating long-term programs.
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When Evaluation Design and Reality Collide
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| Laura Feldman,
University of Wyoming,
lfeldman@uwyo.edu
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Laura Feldman will present on the development of the evaluation design and of the value of the logic model in guiding the original and final evaluation. She will focus on how WYSAC developed the logic model based on previous research and hands-on knowledge of the TFWC program (e.g., its expenditures, activities, and organization). She will also discuss how the evaluators adapted the evaluation design and the logic model as they learned that limitations in data collection would prohibit their ability to assess the model fully. Ms. Feldman holds an Ed. S. in evaluation and program development; she has more than 15 years of experience in program evaluation, program development, and program administration. She has worked on the evaluation of numerous educational and public health evaluations and is currently lead evaluator for Wyoming's Tobacco Prevention and Control project.
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Using a Process Evaluation to Inform Program and Funding Decisions
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| Tiffany Comer Cook,
University of Wyoming,
tcomer@uwyo.edu
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Shannon Williams will present on the process evaluation and how it was used to generate program recommendations. She will discuss the development and use of two data collection tools: a survey of local TFWC program staff and a focus group of experienced TFWC program staff. Ms. Williams will also discuss how the process data has been used to improve programming at both the state and local levels. Ms. Williams has a M.S. in Applied Statistics and Research Methods and is currently writing her dissertation, also in Applied Statistics and Research Methods. She lead the evaluation of the TFWC program.
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Using Regression Analysis to Evaluate the Impact of TFWC Expenditures on Cigarette Sales
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| Nanette Nelson,
University of Wyoming,
nnelso13@uwyo.edu
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Nanette Nelson will present on the regression analysis and its importance in evaluating the TFWC program. She will discuss the design of the regression model and explain how findings from the analysis were used to make recommendations for the allocation of future TFWC funds. She will also address how Wyoming's funding allocations relate to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and expected outcomes. Ms. Nelson has two M.S. degrees: one in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development and one in Agricultural and Applied Economics. In addition to conducting economic analyses as part of the evaluation of the Tobacco Prevention and Control project, Ms. Nelson works primarily evaluating environmental impacts.
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