Task 13

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Module 4 — Task 13: Evaluate Progress and Plan for the Future

At the completion of this task, the assessment team should have:

A plan for ongoing evaluation, both of the progress achieved on the action plan and of the assessment process

The completion of the first assessment process should be celebrated and the hard work and dedication of the team members acknowledged. Over time, the success of the actions to address priority issues should be evaluated. An evaluation measures and documents the degree to which activities and outcomes are being achieved, within the designated timeframe.

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»	Agree on the Questions to Be Answered by the Evaluation
»	Evaluate the Success of the Assessment Process

Agree on the Questions to Be Answered by the Evaluation

Discuss the definition of “success” for the assessment. It may be based on process (e.g., the quality of interaction among community members), outcomes (e.g., improved health status), or a combination of the two. Discussing the questions the team hopes to answer through the evaluation contributes to the development of an effective evaluation process. These questions may include:

Has the goal been achieved completely?
Was it achieved in an effective and efficient manner?
Did the process raise new issues or concerns?
Are there ongoing measures that should be taken to ensure long-term success?

Evaluate the Success of the Assessment Process

Indicators are often used as one tool to evaluate progress. The team may choose to continue reporting on the original indicators or create new ones that describe success in terms of the questions above. These may be mostly indicators of health status, or they may include other pieces such as protection factors to describe what the community is doing to make progress or identify where actions have been inefficient.

Information gathered by tracking indicators can be used to communicate progress to the community and/or to identify the need for additional intervention. Building on success, a community may choose to take on additional issues as priorities for action.

Begin preparations for ongoing community-based environmental health assessment activities

PACE EH is designed to offer a process for ongoing assessment and evaluation and not as a one-time project. Much of the value lies in tracking key environmental health indicators over time, in continuing the relationships developed through the process, and in evaluating the success of the community in addressing selected priorities. The process can be reinvigorated as changes in the community suggest the need for more information, additional community involvement, or a shift in concerns and priorities.

Questions to Consider:

Describe the successful elements on an evaluation plan for an ongoing PACE EH process.