Evaluation of PHO’s KT Project

Evaluation of PHO’s KT Project Mel Brockman June 17, 2014

Overview • CIHR supplement grant obtained. • Time period: June 2012 to June 2013. • External evaluation arranged in late 2013.

Project Overview • Two target audiences: • Community/general public. • Decision-makers. • Goals: • Promote awareness. • Encourage action. • Integrated knowledge translation (iKT) approach

Key Activities

Purpose of Evaluation • Assess whether… • awareness was generated; • action was prompted; • and iKT was achieved. • Improvement-focused.

Type of Evaluation • Process • Project operations and implementation. • Outcome • Short-term (learning-based). • Intermediate (action-based).

Methodology • Records review. • Key informant interviews (N = 17). • Online surveys: • Summit participants (N = 20). • PHO network (N = 7).

Key Findings – Positives • Della video a big hit. • Summit was a success despite not arriving at a national agenda. • Public opinion survey a valuable KT research activity. • Partners happy to see the Region getting involved.

Key Findings – Areas for Improvement • Planned activities with school community. • Some groups not effectively engaged. • Process-tracing issues. • iKT not really achieved.

Recommendations • Create a comprehensive conceptual table at the outset; preferably, prior to submitting the grant application.

Recommendations • Provide potential partners with enough information to make an informed decision about whether they are willing and able, time- and resource-wise, to sign on to the grant.

Recommendations • Involve committed partners and other stakeholders in the conceptualization of the project; preferably, prior to submitting the grant application.

Recommendations • Collaboratively create a “game plan” and clearly articulate project team members’ roles and responsibilities at the outset.

Recommendations • Establish process-tracing procedures at the outset.

Recommendations • Continue to strive toward better internal communication and coordination.

Recommendations • Be more specific in the identification of target audiences and target sub-groups within them.

Recommendations • Focus on the quality of the activities, not the quantity.

Recommendations • As a team, develop a project plan that is proportionate to the time and resources that will be available across all team members.

Recommendations • Continue to explore creative communication and dissemination strategies to engage the general public in order to go beyond “preaching to the choir.”

Recommendations • Give people specific options for actions they can take to make a difference.

Recommendations • Invest the most time and resources in activities aimed at increasing health equity locally and provincially.

Recommendations • Articulate the desired actions that will be prompted by the KT activities.

Recommendations • Identify at the outset what will be measured for evaluation purposes and design measures accordingly.

Recommendations • Strive to achieve higher response rates with data collection activities.

Evaluation of PHO’s KT Project