Program Overview

Health Program Evaluation: Scoping the Evaluation

This course is designed for those involved in developing evaluation plans or frameworks for public health, or health service related programs or projects.

Course Overview

The course is fully booked for 2025. Program planners, designers and implementers are often faced with the task of having to develop an evaluation plan or framework for the program/project that they are working on. This requires scoping the boundary of the evaluation and choosing the most appropriate evaluation questions and approach. Planning, negotiation, program logic modelling and evaluation criteria/indicator selection are integral components of this task. It is in these areas that this course is concentrated. Other areas covered include evaluation purpose, types, and questions; evaluation utilization; choosing outcomes for measurement; and key steps for planning and negotiating the evaluation.

Course Details

• Duration: 3.5 days
• Location: Online
• Fees: $1,200 AUD (inc GST)

What You Will Learn

Participants do not require any background training or knowledge of evaluation, however, experience or knowledge of health programs, policies or services would be an advantage. Key concepts and approaches underpinning the course activities can be applied immediately to workplace programs. The third day is practical based, and involves working in groups on work-based programs – your own, or that of others.

Course Outline

Day 1

Course participants explore the definition of evaluation, and discuss the purpose and process of 'valuing' a health program, service or initiative. The different forms of evaluation are presented and discussed in relation to course participants' own experiences in evaluation. Program logic is introduced, and participants are provided with examples of logic diagrams that extend beyond the typical minimal 'template' model, demonstrating the different levels of use of logic diagrams, particularly from a systems perspective.

Day 2

Course participants explore the importance of evaluation utilisation and what strategies can be undertaken to promote the use of evaluations during evaluation planning, implementation and reporting. Participants explore evaluation questions with a particular focus on the range of process and outcome associated questions. Participants are given the opportunity to consider the range of issues concerning the selection of outcomes and their associated indicators for measurement.

Day 3

Students self-select a project to work on in groups or on their own. Participants can bring projects from their workplace, though this is not necessary. Groups develop a program logic and work towards developing an evaluation plan for the selected program/service over the course of the day with assistance from the course leader.

Day 4 (half day)

Groups will showcase the product of their work developed in Day 3. The session will end with a summary of the key steps and considerations required to develop an evaluation plan and discuss the 'what next' to progress the planning post course.

Course Leaders

Associate Professor Helen Jordan is a public health educator and researcher who specialises in public health planning, health program evaluation and health policy and has a particular interest in the application of systems thinking within these fields.

Dates

Wednesday 26, Thursday 27, Friday 28 November and Friday 5 December (half day)

Course Fees

$1200 (GST inclusive)

Additional Information

Discounts may apply for students, staff and groups. A cancellation fee of $40 will apply for late withdrawal - within seven (7) days of course commencement. Courses can be delivered at your workplace with groups of 10 or more and can be tailored to a particular organisation's needs.