PHOTO COURTESY OF CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT PHOTOGRAPHY
Professionals network at the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
Part C. CDC Framework for Program Evaluation This framework is aligned with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health3 (see Exhibit 1). As the nation’s leading public health agency, CDC developed a framework that provides a practical way of understanding evaluation strategies that can be adapted to each program’s context. The six steps of program evaluation as outlined are: 1. Engage stakeholders 2. Describe the program 3. Focus evaluation design 4. Gather credible evidence 5. Justify conclusions 6. Ensure use and share lessons The sections in this document are guided by the six elements of the CDC framework and include additional information that is relevant to park and recreation professionals implementing and evaluating community health and wellness programming. In the following section, we will introduce Exhibit 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health3 each of the main steps to program evaluation.
1. Engage Stakeholders Engaging stakeholders is a necessary element of evaluation because their perspectives drive components of the program’s objectives, operations and outcomes. Examples of stakeholders can include agency staff of all levels, community members and partners — such as health departments, universities, local government, nonprofits and many more. It is critical to ensure
Definitions Stakeholders: Persons or organizations having an investment in what will be learned from an evaluation and what will be done with the knowledge.3 Evaluation: A systematic method for collecting, analyzing and using data to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and, as importantly, to contribute to continuous program improvement.4 NRPA’s Health Impact Evaluation Framework | 7
