Roadmap for State Program Planning: Evaluate the Program

• Assess Capacities
• Assess Interventions
• Report Results

Assess Capacities
Introduction

All states funded through the 2007 Program Announcement [PDF–43K] should evaluate whether their state health department has increased its capacity to perform tasks needed to address heart disease and stroke in a comprehensive manner and if the long-term goals of the state HDSP program have been reached. To do this, the state should answer the question—

What progress has been made in addressing the six components of capacity building?

Questions developed in the evaluation plan should help states focus on answering this fundamental question to—

• Demonstrate program infrastructure that will enhance capacity to address heart disease and stroke prevention.
• Develop and maintain collaborative partnerships.
• Define and monitor the burden of heart disease and stroke.
• Develop, update, and facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive state heart disease and stroke prevention plan.
• Develop plans to implement population-based intervention strategies.
• Enhance program evaluation.

What to Do

Capacity Building and Basic Implementation states are expected to demonstrate an increasing ability over time to perform core capacity building activities [PDF–142K]. To do this, states should—

• Identify evaluation questions for capacity building activities.
• Identify indicators for each capacity building activity.
• Identify a baseline and target for each indicator.
• Monitor change annually, considering both the quality of activities and the completion of activities.

How to Do It

Your evaluation should document the program's ability to perform capacity building activities. Such evidence includes—

• A management plan that describes staffing and qualifications.
• Methods of communication between health department programs have been established.
• A minimum of 10 diverse and active partnerships have been established or enhanced.
• The state heart disease and stroke burden has been defined, and a HDS Burden Document has been published in the last three years.
• A comprehensive HDSP State Plan has been developed, implemented, or enhanced with the input of partners.
• Processes and/or outcomes of the state partnership have been evaluated.

Review the Summary of Capacity Performance Measures [PDF–131K] details about documentation to be provided as evidence of completion. Remember Capacity-building is a continuous process for all funded states. Once basic performance has been achieved, capacity building activities can be enhanced by improving the quantity, scope or quality of the capacity.

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