Planting the seeds for high-quality program evaluation in public health

This free e-text book, created as a collaboration between the evaluation staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Asthma Control Program and Fierro Consulting Inc., provides a practical introduction to program evaluation within a public health context.

This resource and the following information was contributed by Sarah Gill.

Authors and their affiliation

The e-text was a combined effort between the evaluation staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Asthma Control Program and Fierro Consulting, Inc.

Wilce, M., Gill, S., Perkins, A., Kuwahara, R. (ret), Barrera-Disler, S. (ret), Nurmagambetov, T., are all affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Asthma Control Program (NACP).

Anand, M. served as an ORISE fellow with this program.

Fierro, L.A., Codd, H., Castleman, A.M., are affiliated with Fierro Consulting, Inc.

Orians, C., is a retired evaluation consultant.

Key features

This free e-text book provides a practical introduction to program evaluation within a public health context. In addition to presenting a thorough background on current evaluation concepts, it provides useful tools and templates to help users plan and conduct their own evaluations.

How have you used or intend on using this resource?

The e-text is based on the tools and materials in NACP’s Learning and Growing Through Evaluation modules, which have been used extensively by asthma and other public health programs for almost a decade. In addition to incorporating evaluation theory, enhancing the existing CDC Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health, and including exercises with each chapter, we have used a format that is more appropriate for academic settings. We anticipate that the e-text will be used in schools of public health as well as professional development courses for current practitioners.

Why would you recommend it to other people?

This is one of a few introductory evaluation texts focused on the practice of public health program evaluation. It teaches evaluation fundamentals and encompasses current evaluation concepts, including cultural responsiveness, situational awareness, interpersonal competence, and critical reflection. Each chapter includes review questions and/or skill building exercises, and readers will find helpful templates throughout the text, for example, an evaluation plan template that can serve as a basis for evaluation planning and documentation efforts.