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Session Title: Operational Research and Monitoring and Evaluation: Can We Forge a Partnership?
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Panel Session 819 to be held in REPUBLIC B on Saturday, Nov 13, 10:55 AM to 12:25 PM
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Sponsored by the Health Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Thomas Chapel, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tchapel@cdc.gov
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| Abstract:
The term “operational research” (OR) is used with increasing frequency in public health. Although OR techniques such as mathematical modeling and simulation originated with military operations and despite its traditional use in the private sector, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among other agencies, supports OR for improving disease prevention, control, and health promotion programs. CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention recently established an Operational Research Team (ORT) in the Prevention Research Branch, and the division also includes a Program Evaluation Branch (PEB). ORT’s mission is to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of evidence-based HIV prevention program activities. PEB’s mission is to evaluate processes, outcomes, and impacts of HIV prevention programs, activities, and policies for improvement and accountability. The distinction between OR and program evaluation is not clear. We will discuss the development of OR and program evaluation, OR and evaluation studies in HIV prevention, and ways to differentiate the two disciplines.
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Operational Research and HIV Prevention
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| Jeffrey Herbst, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, jherbst@cdc.gov
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This presentation will provide an overview of the Operational Research Team in the Prevention Research Branch of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. We will provide information on the development of operational research and examples of operational research studies in HIV prevention. We will also discuss the team’s mission, current activities, and plans for the future. In addition, we will explain how operational research is defined in the context of HIV prevention at CDC and how operational research can inform the implementation of biomedical and behavior change HIV prevention strategies.
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Program Evaluation and HIV Prevention
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| Dale Stratford, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bstratford@cdc.gov
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This presentation will provide an overview of the Program Evaluation Branch in CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. We will discuss the branch’s mission in terms of program improvement and accountability and will furnish examples of activities that illustrate these fundamental evaluation objectives. We will discuss the historical development of program evaluation and provide examples of domestic monitoring and evaluation projects in HIV prevention.
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Program Evaluation and Operational Research: Is There a Difference - Does It Matter?
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| Marlene Glassman, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mglassman@cdc.gov
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Program evaluation and operational research (OR) are two different disciplines with their own histories and frames of reference. Nevertheless, the terms are often used interchangeably in public health, including published literature on HIV prevention studies. During this panel, we will explore differences between program evaluation and OR in general and specifically for HIV prevention. We will discuss a proposed framework for distinguishing between the two domains and will conclude with discussion of ways that OR and program evaluation may complement each other.
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