Reference no: EM133670923

Assignment:

1. In a couple sentences, describe a public health program or intervention that could be evaluated. (Don't use an existing program - the objective here is to think up an example that would work for the assignment.)

2. Who is the priority population (i.e., target population) for this program?

3. Who are the potential stakeholders of this program?

4. What is one program outcome that will be evaluated? (Note: A program outcome refers to the change you anticipate in the priority population and/or environment after the successful implementation of the program. Therefore, a program outcome is usually an increase or decrease or reduction in something for the priority population or their environment. Program outcomes are not to educate or to help.)

5. Approximately when will the outcomes of the program will be seen? In other words, when will the program be able to assess the main program outcome of interest? For example, will the outcome be evident immediately after the intervention (e.g., increase in knowledge after completing the class) or will it take longer for the outcome to be seen (e. g., reductions in hospital admissions in the following year)?

6. What is an appropriate research question or hypothesis for a study designed to evaluate this health program? (Make sure your hypothesis or research question is reflective of the program outcome being assessed.

7. Based on the instructional content from this module, in order to evaluate the program outcome of interest, should a formative evaluation, process evaluation, outcome evaluation-effect assessment, or outcome evaluation-efficiency assessment be conducted? Why?

8. Would a quantitative or qualitative approach be used to evaluate the program outcome? Why?

9. What study design will be used to conduct this evaluation? Describe the study design (e.g., Who will the participants be? How many different study groups or conditions will there be? How many times will data collection occur?). (Hint: Review the instructional content from Modules 5, 6 and choose only one study design appropriate for assessing the program outcome.)

10. What is the data collection method that will be used to collect data on the program outcome of interest? Also, describe when and how the program outcome will be measured in order to determine whether or not the outcome has been achieved. (Note that the response should match with your responses to #4 and #5.)

11. Identify at least one limitation to the proposed evaluation study. (Note: For this answer, think of a limitation of the study that is being proposed to evaluate the program outcome as opposed to a problem with the program itself. For example, it may be a limitation of the program that it takes a lot of money but that is a problem with the program potentially, not necessarily a limitation of the evaluation study's design or methodology. As you know from this course, every research approach has strengths and weaknesses so this question aims to determine whether you can identify limitations in the approach you chose. Also keep in mind, if the limitation is something fixable - then don't propose doing that in your study. For example, if you propose a study with 1,000 participants and then state that having to obtain so many participants is a limitation, then design a study that is feasible instead. In other words, the limitation should be tied to a weakness inherent in the approach - not how you set it up.)