Identifying Program Achievements

Abstract Information: Evaluators are increasingly exploring how to maximize use of routine reporting data generated by public health programs. Because these data often are submitted to fulfill program requirements, the availability of these data provides an opportunity to deepen program understanding, inform technical assistance, and identify early successes to share with decision-makers and partners. Evaluators for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program developed a system for capturing program achievements via the annual performance reporting data submitted by funded health departments. We defined an achievement as a significant surveillance or prevention activity illustrating program impact or success extending beyond expected completion of program requirements. During this session, OD2A evaluators will briefly share how the achievements inventory was created and provide examples of its utility.

Relevance Statement: Evaluators working on urgent and evolving public health issues like drug overdose prevention face an array of challenges throughout the evaluation lifecycle. The CDC’s OD2A program funds 66 state, territorial, county, and city health departments to collect high quality, comprehensive, and timely data on nonfatal and fatal drug overdoses and use those data to inform prevention and response efforts. While evaluating OD2A’s overdose prevention efforts, evaluators across these 66 health departments work with a multitude of partners with divergent interests and priorities. They also collect and analyze data from disparate sources – often not designed with evaluation in mind – to identify areas for improvement, potential program impacts, and success stories or achievements. Finally, they work to present data in a timely, tailored, and digestible manner to meet an array of partners’ and decision makers’ needs. CDC staff identified activities that went above and beyond the requirements of OD2A and designed the achievements database. Evaluators have an opportunity to increase utilization of the valuable data shared by OD2A program recipients to deepen awareness of programmatic strengths, achievements, and challenges. They can also engage more deeply with funded recipients to strengthen individual programs and share critical insights across recipients, who will then learn from each other’s achievements. Increased utilization also can help funders better determine data submission needs and to reduce data collection burden where possible. In addition, these data can go beyond simply accounting for funding requirements being met; they offer evaluators key insights into programs to further program knowledge and sharing. This will lead to improved communication with recipients and stronger programs. During this session, the presenters will share how the system for capturing program achievements was developed and used. The methods applied represent creative approaches for evaluation and have wide utility for fields outside of public health.