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Session Title: Constructing A Home for Evaluation by Building Capacity One Step at a Time
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Panel Session 719 to be held in Sebastian Section L3 on Saturday, Nov 14, 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM
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Sponsored by the Organizational Learning and Evaluation Capacity Building TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Michele Mercier, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, zaf5@cdc.gov
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| Discussant(s):
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| Hallie Preskill, FSG Social Impact Advisors, hallie.preskill@fsg-impact.org
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| Abstract:
Building capacity for evaluation in federally funded programs that engage a complex network of actors from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors poses multiple challenges as well as exciting opportunities. In this panel, speakers will draw upon former and current experiences of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Asthma Control Program to explore strategies for developing evaluation capacity in social programs that engage a variety of actors to accomplish shared goals. Panelists will share details about this real-world case using a recent model of evaluation capacity building developed by Preskill and Boyle (2008) as a guiding framework. The entire continuum of evaluation capacity building within the National Asthma Control Program will be addressed including the history of garnering support for evaluation, initial collaborative efforts that were used to begin building evaluation capacity among actors, and ideas for sustaining evaluation capacity as well as expanding initial capacity building efforts.
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Laying the Foundation: Garnering Support for Evaluation
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| Leslie Fierro, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, let6@cdc.gov
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| Michele Mercier, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, zaf5@cdc.gov
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One of the first steps in building evaluation capacity is establishing a climate that is supportive of, or at least intrigued by, evaluation itself. To facilitate the development of an environment that is ripe for generating the support needed to build evaluation capacity, our experiences indicate that good work on the part of a small group of "advocates" for evaluation, periodic experiences that point to the importance and value of evaluative information, and fortuitous timing are needed. In this presentation, the genesis of an evaluation team within the National Asthma Control Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be shared. Significant milestones for garnering support for evaluation within this program will be explained as well as subsequent efforts to continue fostering the understanding and importance of evaluative information.
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Constructing the Floor From Which to Build Future Evaluation Capacity Building Activities
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| Linda Winges, Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation, winges@battelle.org
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| Shyanika Wijesinha Rose, Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation, rosesw@battelle.org
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After garnering support for evaluation activities, initial steps to build evaluation capacity can be undertaken. In this presentation, we describe the process used by the National Asthma Control program at the CDC to model the first four steps in the CDC Evaluation Framework as they initiated efforts to develop evaluation tools for use in state asthma programs. Stakeholder input was gathered through a highly interactive workgroup process and was critical for describing the program, grounding program theories in reality, prioritizing evaluation questions, and generating a data collection instrument for use in program monitoring. Products from this effort provide a starting point for states to build evaluation capacity and provide a consistent base upon which ongoing evaluation activities can be done within the National Asthma Program. Additionally, these efforts appear to have contributed to changes in participant's understanding and valuing of evaluative information.
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Adding the Second Story: Building Evaluation Capacity in the Field
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| Carlyn Orians, Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation, orians@battelle.org
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| Joanne Abed, Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation, abedj@batelle.org
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To make a long-term positive impact on evaluation practice within state asthma programs, building the knowledge base and tools to support effective evaluations is necessary but not sufficient. This knowledge must be transferred in a systematic fashion through communication, training, technical assistance and other strategies to support evaluation capacity building among those who are tasked with carrying out the programs. The presenter will describe current efforts underway in the National Asthma Control Program to develop an evaluation guidance handbook that will support both self learning and directed training among state asthma programs, building on the knowledge base described by the previous panelists.
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How Do You Keep What You Have Built: Sustaining Evaluation Capacity
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| Maureen Wilce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, muw9@cdc.gov
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| Sheri Disler, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sjd9@cdc.gov
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The National Asthma Program is undertaking a collaborative and comprehensive process to build evaluation capacity. Complementing the processes for creating capacity are efforts to maintain a culture of inquiry and sustain capacity to conduct evaluations and use data effectively over time. These efforts include reinforcing the focus on a shared, clear vision for evaluation; ensuring alignment of evaluation activities with program priorities; supporting engagement of key stakeholders throughout the evaluation process; routinely enhancing appropriate knowledge and skills for evaluation through technical assistance; and maintaining consistent resources and expectations for roles for evaluators at all levels. The presenters will show how various tools, including the management information system, training materials, and procedural guides have been designed to promote institutionalization of systems and structures supporting evaluation practice and use of findings. The presenters will also discuss strategies to tailor and implement these tools and share indicators used to monitor capacity over time.
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