Defining sustainability outcomes of health programs: Illustrations from an on-line survey.
Evaluative research for questions of program sustainability has expanded substantially in recent years, but definitional issues remain. This paper presents definitions for four different types of sustainability as potential outcomes of health programs. We then illustrate these definitions with descriptive findings from an on-line survey to "look back" at the extent and types of sustainability that occurred among 48 community-based projects that had received short-term funding from a foundation-funded health program in New Jersey. We found that large percentages of respondents reported positively to each of four types of sustainability measures-maintaining program activities, continuing to serve substantial numbers of clients, building and sustaining collaborative structures, and maintaining attention to the ideas underlying the projects by disseminating them to others. Strengths and limitations of this methodology for future evaluation are also discussed.
Scheirer Consulting, 238 Sayre Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
Mary Ann
MA
Scheirer
Gretchen
G
Hartling
Diane
D
Hagerman
D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003625:Data Collection; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005582:Foundations; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D009515:New Jersey; D009936:Organizational Innovation / Q000191:economics; D016134:Organizational Policy; D016730:Program Development / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D012109:Research Support as Topic