 |
| "Let
our advance worrying become advance thinking and
planning."
— Winston Churchill |
|
When Evaluation Takes
Place
|
An important
fact about evaluation is that it should begin while
the program is being created, not after the program
is complete. Correctly done, evaluation is an ongoing
process that begins as soon as the idea for a tobacco
control program is conceived. It interweaves with program
activities throughout the life of the program and ends
after the program is finished. Sometimes evaluation
continues for years after the |
|
program ends to see if program
effects are sustained over time. By evaluating each
step, programs can catch and solve problems early, which
not only saves time and money, but also makes success
more likely. |
Besides, the earlier you determine that a procedure does
not work or an activity is not suitable, the fewer resources
you will invest in things that cannot effectively be used.
Sometimes it is as simple as gathering a small group of the
people you are trying to reach to serve as advisors on materials.
But if your program is already up and running, it is still
possible to generate a sound evaluation. For more information,
continue on to Preparing Your
Program for Evaluation.
Now, those of you who are just starting out may wonder, “So
why must we start evaluating so early?” To answer that
question, let’s take a look at an example:
Suppose you decided to
provide education to employees of tobacco retail establishments
to decrease the rate of illegal tobacco sales to youth
under the age of 18. Perhaps, to start off, you mail
information to owners of the retail establishments,
encouraging them to have their employees come to the
education program. Some people respond but not as many
as you hoped for. Why? To find out, you evaluate.
You may learn that face-to-face education is not practical.
Retailers are unwilling to release employees during
work hours, or to make requests of their employees’
time during their off hours. You may also learn that
the literacy level of your educational materials is
too high for the population you intended to reach. So
you need to change the way you deliver the program and
the content of the educational information. Perhaps
you need to provide the information through posters,
or other brief forms. Perhaps you need to send educators
into the establishments.
Would it have been better to assess people’s
ability to come to your location and test the language
in the materials for readability before beginning the
program? Definitely. It would have saved time and money—not
to mention disappointment and frustration for the program
staff. |
|
|
