Common Approaches to Evaluation across Settings:

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Common Approaches to Evaluation across Settings
School Health Action, Planning and Evaluation
System

• Steve Manske
• CES-NCC Conference November 29, 2007

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Outline of the Cross-Setting Example

• Settings / Sectors Involved
• Problem Addressed local learning systems
• Evaluators responses
• Issues for Evaluators in Cross-Setting Evaluation

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Settings / Sectors Involved

• Evaluators/ researchers engaging
• Educators and
• Population / public health staff
• To address student health behaviour

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Issue What we had was an RCT. What we needed
was local evaluation.

• Surveyed students to inform school-based
  initiatives in smoking prevention.
• Provided feedback tailored to each school.
• Our schools were absolutely delighted with the
  quality of information they received .PEI
  school superintendent

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Components
School-level
Student-level
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Evaluators Responses 1 Overarching Issues

• Walking the talk evolving a system that respects
  the needs and takes advantage of the knowledge of
  different sectors
• Building toward a sustainable system

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Evaluators Responses 2 Creating a local
learning system

• Common evaluation still adapts to local needs
• Content Minimal data set local content
• Process Set standards of what qualifies
• Evaluator roles maintain credibility of system
  bridge sectors

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SHAPES Conceptual Model
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Evaluators Responses 3

• Common evaluation still adapts to local needs
• Evaluator Roles maintaining credibility
  bridging sectors
• Minimize burden on systems
• Align with other initiatives e.g., drug surveys,
  public health programs and policies
• Evaluator Roles gather stakeholders communicate
  about broader good
• Contribute to system improvement at multiple
  levels
• Evaluator Role create the spirit of why not

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The SHAPES System
National
Provincial
Regional
School
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Issues for Evaluators in Evaluations Spanning
Settings / Sectors

• Consider your role in evaluation
• Control
• Influence
• Support
• for improving the system may be scarce
• program vs. project funding
• Building appreciation for other sectors needs
  and contributions takes time

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Acknowledgements

• Collaborators
• Donna Murnaghan (PE), Bill Morrison (NB), Scott
  Leatherdale (ON), Jane Griffith (MB), Chris
  Lovato (BC), Marjorie MacDonald (BC)
• Current Staff
• Lisa Stockton, Katy Wong, Christina Kroeker, Matt
  Vandermeer, Rashid Ahmed, Laura Holtby, Tammy
  Cumming, Matthew VanderMeer, Janice Tiessen,
  Yolanda Dorrington, Chad Bredin, Elissa Bonin,
  Janine Ouimet, Tom Agar, Dana Zummach, Ramona
  DMello, Stephanie Filsinger, Jenn Toews
• Students
• Elissa Bonin, Erin Hobin, Suzy Wong, Melissa
  Roth, Becky Wiebe, Irene Lambraki, Peter Sae
  Yang, Sarah Woodruff

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For more information
Email shapes_at_healthy.uwaterloo.ca Web www.shapes
.uwaterloo.ca
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• The Centre for Behavioural Research and Program
  Evaluation is supported by the National Cancer
  Institute of Canada with funds from the Canadian
  Cancer Society.
• We are located at the University of Waterloo.