title: Steps to a HealthierUS Cooperative Agreement Program: foundational elements for program evaluation planning, implementation, and use of findings.
abstract: The Steps to a HealthierUS Cooperative Agreement Program (Steps Program) enables funded communities to implement chronic disease prevention and health promotion efforts to reduce the burden of diabetes, obesity, asthma, and related risk factors. At both the national and community levels, investment in surveillance and program evaluation is substantial. Public health practitioners engaged in program evaluation planning often identify desired outcomes, related indicators, and data collection methods but may pay only limited attention to an overarching vision for program evaluation among participating sites. We developed a set of foundational elements to provide a vision of program evaluation that informs the technical decisions made throughout the evaluation process. Given the diversity of activities across the Steps Program and the need for coordination between national- and community-level evaluation efforts, our recommendations to guide program evaluation practice are explicit yet leave room for site-specific context and needs. Staff across the Steps Program must consider these foundational elements to prepare a formal plan for program evaluation. Attention to each element moves the Steps Program closer to well-designed and complementary plans for program evaluation at the national, state, and community levels.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Mail Stop K-93, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. gim2@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Goldie
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Danyael
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaza
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schooley
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Compton
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bagnol
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Edgerly
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haverkate
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States