Part B. Dissemination

Dissemination is sharing the evaluation findings with key stakeholders, such as government officials policymakers, partners and community members. To effectively disseminate the results of the evaluation, it is important to create a dissemination plan that provides an overview of how the evaluation results will be shared with the relevant audience. While sharing the findings of the evaluation, it is important not only to discuss the positive outcomes, but also disclose the biases, limitations and challenges to allow the audiences to better understand the story of the program and draw fair conclusions.

Resources – Further Reading CDC Framework for Program Evaluation4 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Dissemination Guide117

The dissemination plan should be a collaborative effort with the internal team and should address the purpose, the audience, the message to be shared, the methods, the timing, and the process for evaluating the success of the dissemination effort. A detailed overview of this plan can be found in Table 10. An essential aspect of a strategy for dissemination is to always keep equity in mind throughout the process. For example, consider how the mediums will be translated for audiences for whom English is not the primary language spoken. Furthermore, simplified data using accessible terms and graphical information may be better suited for the general audience compared to a more professional audience that would be able to understand technical jargon. These factors need to be considered for a successful dissemination effort. Asking community members and stakeholders their preferred method of receiving findings when conducting community assessments will create a more relevant report. Often, several versions of reports are necessary to effectively convey the results to various audiences.

Table 10 . Key Elements of a Dissemination Plan

Element Details

Purpose The purpose of the dissemination plan may be to: • Raise awareness • Inform • Engage • Promote Audience Consider who is the audience and their interest in the program. Examples of audiences are: • Community members • Agency/Organization leadership • Government officials • Financial supporters/funders • Partners Message Characteristics to consider while defining the key messages: • Clear • Targeted • Actionable • Factually correct • May be repeated (for reinforcement of message)